JAMAICA’S major telecommunications providers FLOW and Digicel are ramping up activities to launch a massive public awareness campaign at the end of this month, to familiarise Jamaicans with the 10-digit dialling regime which takes effect here on May 31.

Jamaica is the first North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) country in the region to implement an additional area code.

To allow customers to become familiar with 10-digit dialling, which involves dialling the 876 area code before all local seven-digit numbers, FLOW and Digicel in collaboration with the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), will enable a permissive dialing period between May 31 and October 30.

In the meantime, however, customers are being asked to start updating their contact lists with 876 preceding all local numbers in preparation for the new regime, which has been necessitated by the acquisition of a new three-digit area code for the island.

Addressing the Jamaica Observer Press Club last Thursday, Public Education Specialist at the OUR Elizabeth Bennett Marsh explained that when Jamaica received its 876 area code in 1996, it was thought that this code would have lasted for at least a few decades. But by 2009, there was a heavy demand for numbers, especially with the advent of then new carrier, Digicel, in the telecoms market.

At the time, she informed, there were 6.2 million numbers issued, out of a projected 7.73 million and it was further projected that another 1.3 million numbers would be needed for the next three years as of 2009.

She said that while there has been a tapering off of that drastic demand seen in 2009, expert projections are that Jamaica will soon run out of numbers under the 876 area code. This prompted the OUR, which is empowered under the Telecommunications Act to provide sufficient numbering for the country, to request another area code from NANPA.

Jamaica has now received a 658 area code, but this will not take effect until the 876 code is exhausted. In the meantime, however, preparations must be made for the introduction of 658, as whenever an additional area code is activated within an area, mandatory 10-digit dialling is required for all local calls. This is due to the fact that the last seven digits of a number currently being used will no longer identify as a unique address, as those digits will be replicated under the new area code.

Bennett Marsh stressed the importance of familiarisation during the permissive dialling period on both networks, and how it will work. “If it is that you dial seven digits you will get a recording whether you dial to a Flow or Digicel number to say this is a reminder that 10 digit dialling is in effect, but we are going to put through your call…however, come November 1, then if you dial seven digits we are going to ask you to hang up and dial 10 digits,” she outlined.

She noted that there is no specific timeline for the exhaustion of 876 numbers yet, as this is demand-driven. “But right now from where we sit we are prepared for any demands,” she stated.

Director of Corporate Communication and Stakeholder Management at FLOW, Kayon Wallace, noted that customers will not be billed for the duration of the recording alerting them to 10-digit dialling. She said that her company is ready for the new paradigm, with the public awareness programme planned to continue through to the end of 2018.

“We have our project team in place; they are on track, all our action items are currently tracking pretty much as expected in order for us to meet the timeline … we do believe that this is an excellent initiative and, under the expert guidance of the OUR, it’s good that we are putting the necessary steps in place to ensure that we are fully prepared at the point when the numbers under the 876 code are exhausted. What we want to ensure is that there is minimal disruption to our customers,” Wallace stated.

Regional communication manager for Digicel Elon Parkinson had equal commendations for the OUR for its preemptive move. “We are going to be doing a full-scale public awareness campaign — this month to next year if needs be. We need to hit some critical points concerning simply how people save their numbers. From now on, start saving your numbers with 876,” he said, noting that although social media platforms such as WhatsApp already automatically save numbers with the requisite area codes, persons will now have to actively savenumbers with all 10 digits.

He pointed out that stakeholders such as advertisers can join the public education campaign by making their own adjustments to 10-digit dialing, in collaboration with their clients. “It’s a good opportunity to get perhaps the advertising association on board, and for them to perhaps send out a circular to their members,” he said.

Wallace noted that the mobile network already supports 10 digit dialling to some degree, notwithstanding the current seven-digit platform. “So the real configuration that’s taking place is more on the fixed side of the business,” she remarked.

Director of Regulatory Affairs at FLOW, Charles Douglas stressed that all Jamaicans need to ensure that they are ready for the mandatory October 30 switch-off.

“So the real issue that OUR will have to manage with our support is, come November 1, will the country be ready for a mandatory switch-off? What we will not want is for the economy to stop. We can do it, and we will be in a position to do it, but in that in-between up to then we need to make our best effort so that everybody is on board.

Bennett emphasised that regardless of the permissive dialling period, providers must be ready by May 31, so that customers can start dialling 10 digit numbers as of that date.

The telecommunications providers assured that a raft of public education measures will be rolled out to get all customers on board, including print and electronic advertisements, and town hall meetings. Persons may also seek information from the offices of the OUR.