Paris, 19 October 2001
Autorité de régulation des télécommunications (ART) reminds consumers that cellular telephones can no longer be called using old 10-digit numbers as of 23 October in the overseas départements of Reunion, Guadeloupe, Guyana and Martinique. As of this date, only numbers beginning with 06 can be used to call a mobile telephone.
As of the same date, 0830XX, 0831XX and 0832XX numbers will be eliminated and replaced with short numbers with the format 30XX, 31XX and 32XX.
These measures close the operation which was begun on 15 December 2000 in Reunion and which was extended to Guadeloupe, Guyana and Martinique on 22 June 2001. From now on, these four départements will use the same numbering plan as Metropolitan France. The purpose of this harmonisation which had been requested by local authorities, was to provide the resources needed to grow the very dynamic market.
- The current situation
Subscribers having purchased a cellular telephone prior to 22 June 2001 may be called either on their old 10-digit number (e.g.: 059065xxxx) or on the new number (e.g.: 069065xxxx). This possibility had been preserved in order to facilitate the transition.
Some services using a short 30XX, 31XX or 32XX number can be called from overseas départements using 0830XX, 0831XX and 0832XX numbers. This was introduced initially to maintain 6-digit numbers.
- The situation after 23 October 2001
As of 23 October 2001, cellular phone numbers with the format 0262XXXXXX, 0590XXXXXX, 0594XXXXXX and 0596XXXXXX will be eliminated.
The same will be true for numbers with the format 0830XX, 0831XX and 0832XX.