ARCEP updates the French numbering plan and introduces a new range of digits beginning with 09 for interpersonal communications

Paris, 20 December 2005

ARCEP has decided to open a new range of digits (beginning with 09) for interpersonal communications. This decision follows in-depth discussions with the entire sector in order to anticipate new telephone uses and to allow the development of new services.

A new range of digits to stimulate innovation

The aim of opening this new range of numbers is to facilitate the development of new services offered via high-speed access by operators and service providers. This range will also be used for fixed-mobile convergence offers.

Until now, these new services were not very visible to consumers. Many of them used digits beginning with 087 which consumers see as being expensive, although the cost of calls to these digits is often lower than a local call.

Initially, ten million digits beginning with 097 will be made available for non-geographic interpersonal communications services. This will allow users to associate the new range with innovative, low-cost services. Operators will enjoy more selection in the digits available for their services.

Thanks to this measure, operators can migrate services currently using the 087 prefix and will benefit from major new resources. Users of 087 digits will simply replace the 8 with a 9 (e.g.: the number 08 71 71 71 71 becomes 09 71 71 71 71 ) to use these new 097 digits.

No threat to the current French numbering plan

The introduction of this new range of digits is part of an update process for the French numbering plan; its general organisation continues to be based on major digit categories:
- geographic digits from 01 to 05,
- mobile digits beginning with 06,
- access digits to added-value services beginning with 08.

Further, all decisions related to the numbering plan have now been assembled in a new document which describes the organisation of the French numbering plan and explains the conditions of use for each category.

The fruit of in-depth discussions with the sector

The three decisions adopted by ARCEP on 15 December are the fruit of months of discussions with the entire sector: a public consultation was launched in October 2004 to obtain players’ opinions and several working groups have contributed to ARCEP’s considerations on the numbering issue.