Telesom Adds Three Digits to Mobile Numbers

Hargeisa 08.May (SDN) -Somaliland’s largest telecom company Telesom has added three digits to mobile numbers, making it ten digits. The move, which came into effects on early morning of today 8 May, affects all Telesom subscribers in the country. It’s not clear whether the measure was aimed to expand number resources to meet growing demand or the company exhausted the previous existing number capacity. Meanwhile, sources close to the telecom companies confirmed to us that the move is a part of a Somali federal government’s numbering plan in which Somali communications commission wants to make all mobile numbers in Somalia including Somaliland to have same digits. The sources also confirm that Somtel the second largest telecom operator in Somaliland will follow suit in the upcoming days. Virtually, the new codes took effect immediately thus callers using the old numbers were prompted to add the new 063 digits thus all incoming and outgoing calls, for instance usual 4060807 now showed 0634060807. Somaliland has no working telecom regulator although Communication Act passed by Somaliland parliament in 2011 proposed the creation of an official watch for telecom regulation. If Somaliland had a telecom regulator, the telecom operators would be responsible for the implementation of the new digit, as well as for all expenses related to the new rule. Experts say that the costs to make the necessary adjustments would total about millions of dollars.

While the company is yet to release an official statement as per the new developments reliable source indicate that the ministry of posts and telecommunications in conjunction with Telesom shall hold a press conference at the ministry’s headquarters in Hargeisa on 9th May at around 10 am in order to shed light.

By: Eng.Abdirisak Ismail Qalinle (Itaqile)

SDN News Desk

Hargeisa