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phone number changes icon   Further Information
  Why?
  Parallel Running
  Recorded Announcements
  Directories
  Other Communications

 

Why?

ComReg manages and administers the National Numbering Scheme in order to ensure that adequate reserves of telephone numbers exist for all new customers and services. The Numbering Plan for Ireland lists all numbers and codes that are available on public telecommunications networks. These include ordinary PSTN/ISDN telephone numbers linked to your home or business phone (geographic numbers), free phone, premium rate and internet access codes (non-geographic numbers) and mobile numbers.

When the level of “free” numbers (i.e. the quantity of numbers that are available for allocation) reaches a certain level, changes to the numbering scheme are necessary to ensure that sufficient numbers are available to all authorised entities, and subsequently to end-users.

That level has now been reached in the following STD codes: 044, 0502, 0506, 0509, 053, 054 and 055. Number changes are therefore necessary in these areas.

Consumers should contact their telecommunications service provider in the first instance for more information on these changes.


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Parallel Running

Parallel working is the period of time when it is possible to use both the old and new numbers. Parallel working for this set of number changes will be operational from the beginning of December 2005. A six month period is then allowed to ensure that all users are informed of the number changes. Parallel working will cease (i.e. only the new number will be operational) in stages from May 2006.

The dates for parallel running will be as follows:
Old STD Area Code New STD Area Code Start Date Number Changeover Date
0502, 0506, 0509 057 5th December 2005 12th May 2006
044 044 5th December 2005 2nd June 2006
053, 054, 055 053 5th December 2005 16th June 2006
 

From the start dates, either the old or new numbers may be used by callers until the end date shown above. If new numbers are used, the full number (including the STD code) should be dialled in areas where there is an STD code change. Local dialling with the new 7 digit local number will only become operational once the number changeover has occurred.

These public cessation dates (NUMBER CHANGE DATES) represent the earliest dates from which the old numbers should be considered inoperative, although some old numbers may remain operative for a short period after these respective dates.


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Recorded Announcements

After the cessation of parallel running, calls to the old Subscriber Numbers (STD Codes) will be routed to recorded announcements which will prompt the caller with the prefix to be inserted before the old 5 digit Subscriber Number and, in cases where the STD Code has also been changed, the new STD Code. Calls to old numbers should be routed to recorded announcements for a period of at least 12 months after the number changes.


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Directories

Since the telephone directories for any given year are distributed in the previous autumn (e.g. the directories for 2006 will be distributed in the autumn of 2005), the new 7-digit numbers will first appear in telephone directories for 2007. These will be distributed to homes in the autumn of 2006. Anyone who contacts any of the directory enquiry services from the relevant cut-over date in May or June 2006 will be informed of the new 7-digit number and not the old 5-digit number.


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Other Communications

Other communications to the public will include bill inserts and press releases in local press and radio.

For any queries relating to your bill or aspects of your telephony service please contact your service provider.


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