New numbers – Adelaide, Perth, Sydney & Melbourne

Adelaide (08) 7

Numbers starting with (08) 71, 72, 73 and 74 were specified in September 2000 as available for allocation to carriage service providers providing services in Adelaide. The introduction of numbers starting with '7' is in addition to the familiar numbers which start with '8'. The new numbers do not impact on numbers already being used by customers and will be issued to customers requiring new services or additional lines.

The first of these numbers - (08) 7120 - were allocated to WorldxChange in September 2000. It is anticipated that WorldxChange will commence issuing the new numbers to customers from April 2001. Other numbers were allocated in November 2000: the block (08) 7223 was allocated to AAPT with (08) 7122 allocated to Chime Communications. It is likely that numbers from these ranges will be issued to customers from mid-2001. In addition, Cable & Wireless Optus were allocated three blocks of new numbers in early 2001 - (08) 7420, (08) 7421 and (08) 7422 - and plans to issue these numbers to customers from May 2001.

The numbers already allocated, together with any future allocations from the new number ranges, must be used in accordance with the Telecommunications Numbering Plan 1997.

The following information extracted from Schedule 2 of the Numbering Plan, sets out how the numbers for Adelaide must be used.

Schedule 3 to the Plan further sets out that the new numbers must be used as numbers of either local or broad geographic significance. The following information sets out those numbers and where they must be used.

Numbers of local geographic significance

Numbers of broad geographic significance

The introduction of the new numbers was necessary because of the strong demand by new providers of phone services. This need for phone numbers by new providers has meant that, in some parts of Adelaide, numbers beginning with '8' have run out.

The former ACA took steps to ensure that the difficulties that arose when the new '8' numbers were introduced in Sydney and Melbourne and the new '6' numbers in Perth are avoided. The former ACA asked phone companies that have been allocated the new numbers to ensure that phone users in Adelaide and elsewhere are adequately informed about the change. Their responsibility was to make sure all their customers are able to dial and use the new numbers starting with '7' without any difficulty.

When new numbers were introduced in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, some phone users mistakenly replaced the new, unfamiliar prefix with what they believed to be the correct prefix. Business phone systems also had trouble, as some switchboards and other types of equipment can block calls to unrecognised numbers.

A test number was established to allow customers to determine whether their business telephone system can make calls to the new (08) 7 numbers. The number is (08) 7422 8999.

If a recorded message is not heard when this number is dialled, the business system may require reprogramming. Companies requiring reprogramming of business telephone systems in order to access the new numbers should contact their business system supplier. Calls to the test number attract normal charges.

If you have been issued one of these new numbers, you should have alerted your business contacts that they may need to reprogram their business systems.

Perth (08) 6

New numbers commencing with '6' started being issued to customers in Perth early in 1999. These numbers are being issued in addition to the existing numbers beginning with '9'.

The new '(08) 6' numbers are valid, and should not be altered by the insertion of a '9' at the beginning of a number, or by replacing the '6' with a '9'.

If you experience any trouble phoning people with a new number, it is possible that the problem may be caused by business telephone systems- such as PABX, TIMS and Commander systems - being programmed to block calls made to numbers starting with a '6'.

It is imperative that businesses are aware of this requirement and take the appropriate steps to reprogram business telephone systems. Removal of the barring will ensure that companies are able to contact all customers and suppliers with numbers beginning with '6'.

If you have been issued with one of the new Perth numbers starting with '6', you should have alerted business contacts that they may need to reprogram their business systems.

Sydney (02) 8 & Melbourne (03) 8

New numbers commencing with '8' started being used in Sydney and Melbourne early in 1998, in addition to the familiar numbers beginning with '9'.

The introduction of numbers starting with (02) 8 in Sydney and (03) 8 in Melbourne was necessary because of continuing strong demand for new telephone services in the two cities. This demand meant that the some of the stocks of spare blocks of '9' numbers reserved for particular parts of Sydney and Melbourne have been used up. This was anticipated by the move to eight digit local numbers and, in principle, any new leading digit may be used in future as a way of introducing additional numbers.

It is important that people making calls to the numbers starting with '8' do not replace the '8' with a '9', or insert a '9' in front of the number, as this will result in a wrong number. The new '8' numbers are valid numbers, and are being introduced over the same areas in Sydney and Melbourne as the '9' numbers. Calls to '8' numbers are not charged any differently to calls to '9' numbers which are based in the same general location.

If calls to the new numbers do not connect, the problem may be caused by business telephone systems-such as PABX and Commander systems-which are programmed to block calls to numbers starting with '8'.

The former ACA strongly recommended that barring of calls to numbers starting with '8' be removed (unless specifically required to limit call costs). Removing the barring will ensure that companies are able to contact customers and suppliers with numbers beginning with an '8'.

If you have been issued one of these new numbers, you should alert your business contacts that they may need to reprogram their business systems.