(The Nation via NewsEdge) Thailand's mobile service providers have spent a combined 400 million baht ($10.6 million) upgrading their phone number systems to comply with the national telecom regulator's new number plan.
AIS spent about 130 million baht ($3.5 million), while DTAC and True Move each poured 100 million baht ($2.6 million).
Other companies, like state-owned Hutchison-CAT and Thai Mobile, also spent money on upgrades. The upgrades mainly involved adjustments to billing and IT systems and on campaigns to announce the new number policy.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) also spent 30 million baht ($796,000) on its publicity campaign to introduce the new policy, which comes into effect next month, when all mobile-phone numbers will begin with a 08 prefix, followed by eight digits.
NTC chairman Choochart Prom-phrasid said the new numbering policy would lay the groundwork for the NTC's future plans to introduce number portability 3G licenses.
It will also resolve the current phone number shortage.
Thailand currently has more than 30 million mobile-phone users.
The long-awaited number portability policy will allow telecom users to keep their phone numbers after switching to different networks.
The numbering plan will create 100 million mobile-phone numbers with a 08 prefix, of which 30 million would be reserved for future use.
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