Reliance Jio reportedly to allot 6-series mobile numbers to new subscribers

With mobile number series starting with ‘9’ exhausting rapidly, Reliance Jio has acquired permission to allot mobile numbers that start with the numeral 6, reports Telecom Talk.

The telco has apparently been given permission by the Department of Telecom (DoT) to issue 6-series numbers and has been allotted MSC (mobile switching code) codes in the 6-series for the same, making it the first telecom operator in the country to offer ‘6’ series mobile numbers.

The department has reportedly issued the company 60010-60019 MSC codes in Rajasthan, 60020-60029 MSC codes in Assam and 60030-60039 in Tamil Nadu. Jio has also got the 7-series MSC codes in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, and the 8-series MSC codes in Kolkata and Maharashtra.

Indian telecom sector has so far seen mobile numbers in 9, 8, and 7 series. However, Reliance Jio's entry, bundled with free data and voice offers, led to many fold increase in demand for new mobile numbers. According to TRAI’s recent data, Indian subscriber base grew by 21.02 million to cross 1.12 billion in November 2016, mostly courtesy Jio.

As of January 2017, Reliance Jio claims to have added more than 70 million subscribers to its network and is estimated to hit the 100 million user base mark by March 2017.