Decision No. 2036/QD-BTTTT dated November 21, 2016, promulgating area code change plan

DECISION

PROMULGATING AREA CODE CHANGE PLAN

THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

Pursuant to the Law on telecommunication dated November 23, 2009;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 25/2011/ND-CP dated April 06, 2011 providing instructions on the implementation of a number of articles of the Law on telecommunication; the Government’s Decree No. 81/2016/ND-CP dated July 01, 2016 amending and supplementing a number of articles of Decree No. 25/2011/ND-CP;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 132/2013/ND-CP dated October 16, 2013 defining functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Information and Communications;

Pursuant to the Ministry of Information and Communications’ Circular No. 22/2014/TT-BTTTT dated December 22, 2014 promulgating telecommunications number storage planning;

At the request of director of the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority,

HEREBY DECIDE:

Article 1. Enclosed herewith is the area code change plan.

Article 2. This Decision takes effect as of the signing date.

Article 3. Chief officers, director of the Vietnam Telecommunications Authority, heads of agencies and units affiliated to the Ministry of Information and Communications, directors of the Service of Information and Communications, provinces, central-affiliated cities, general directors and directors of telecommunication enterprises and relevant organizations and/or individuals shall be responsible for executing this Decision./.

AREA CODE CHANGE PLAN

(Enclosed with the Minister of Information And Communications’ Decision No. 2036/QD-BTTTT dated November 21, 2016)

To implement the telecommunications number storage planning enclosed with Circular No. 22/2014/TT-BTTTT dated December 22, 2014, the Ministry of Information and Communications has promulgated the area code change plan (hereinafter referred to as “the Plan”), particularly as follows:

1. Purposes and requirements of the Plan

To minimize possible negative impacts on businesses and service users and to assure the harmony of social interests and costs, the Plan must meet the following requirements:

a) Assure safety for telecommunications networks and information security before, during and after area code change;

b) Changing area codes must be quick and favorable for businesses and service users;

c) Take technical measures to minimize possible loss of communication before, during and after area code change by allowing service users to dial the old area code and new area code simultaneously during area code change; maintain notification sounds for an appropriate period of time after area code change;

d) Changes to area code should be in conformity with international practice;

dd) Area codes across the country must be changed and put into use in accordance with area codes planned in the telecommunication number storage planning enclosed with the Ministry of Information and Communications’ Circular No. 22/2014/TT-BTTTT dated December 22, 2014.

2. Contents of the Plan

Change existing area codes of 59 out of 63 provinces, cities across the country (except area codes of four provinces Vinh Phuc, Phu Tho, Hoa Binh and Ha Giang) into new area codes as planned in the telecommunications number storage planning enclosed with Circular No. 22/2014/TT-BTTTT dated December 22, 2014. To meet the purposes and requirements as prescribed in Section 1, the area code change shall be divided into stages. Each stage consists of multiple steps, particularly as follows:

2.1. Division into stages

To ensure changing of area codes is quick and favorable for businesses and service users while meeting requirements for simultaneous dialing, the area code change is divided into three stages as follows:

a) Stage 1: Change area codes of 13 provinces: Son La, Lai Chau, Lao Kai, Dien Bien, Yen Bai, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam, Da Nang, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh;

b) Stage 2: Change area codes of 23 provinces: Quang Ninh, Bac Giang, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Tuyen Quang, Thai Nguyen, Bac Kan, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, Hai Phong, Ha Nam, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Ca Mau, Bac Lieu, Can Tho, Hau Giang, Tra Vinh, An Giang, Kien Giang, Soc Trang;

c) Stage 3: Change area codes of 23 provinces, cities: Hanoi City, Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Binh Thuan, Ba ria – Vung Tau, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Kon Tum, Dak Nong, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, Gia Lai, Vinh Long, Binh Phuoc, Long An, Tien Giang, Binh Duong, Ben Tre, Tay Ninh, Dong Thap.

2.2. Steps of each stage

To minimize possible loss of communications before, during and after area code change, each stage must consist of four steps as follows:

a) Make public announcement on domestic media, to telecommunications administration agencies of other countries, International Telecommunication Union at least 60 days before the area code change starts;

b) Take technical measures to enable simultaneous dialing for 30 days since the area code change starts;

For example: During this time, users may dial old area code 04.23456789 or new area code 024.23456789 to Hanoi City..

c) Maintain the notification sound for a minimum of 30 days (since the time of simultaneous dialing closes). During this time, any call using new area codes shall be normally processed and any call using old area codes shall be routed to the notification sound (in both Vietnamese and English for interprovincial, inter-network calls; and in English for international calls), particularly:

c1.) For domestic calls, the notification sound shall come from any telecommunication enterprise from which a call is initiated by the switchboard.

- The notification sound in Vietnamese: “Xin thông báo: mã vùng của (tên tỉnh/thành phố) đã thay đổi. Đề nghị Quý khách quay số lại, thay (mã vùng cũ) thành (mã vũng mới)”

- The notification sound in English: “Please note that the area code of (name of Province/City) has been changed. Please redial, replacing (old area code) with (new area code)” For example: A user in Vietnam who dials the old area code 04.23456789 to Hanoi City shall receive a notification sound in Vietnamese: “Xin thông báo: mã vùng của TP. Hà Nội đã thay đổi. Đề nghị Quý khách quay số lại, thay 4 thành 24” and in English: “Please note that the area code of Ha Noi City has been changed. Please redial, replacing 4 with 24”.

c2.) For international incoming calls, the gateway of an international incoming call service providers shall deliver the notification sound.

The notification sound in English: “Please note that the area code of (name of Province/City) has been changed. Please redial, replacing (country code+old area code) with (country code+new area code)”

For example: A user outside Vietnam who dials the old area code +84.4.23456789 to Hanoi City shall receive a notification sound “Please note that the area code of Ha Noi City has been changed. Please redial, replacing 844 with 8424”.

d) Stop maintaining the notification sound: Calls shall be successful processed only through new area codes.

To ensure changing of area codes is quick and favorable for businesses and service users, step a aforementioned should be implemented for all three stages.

2.3. Duration of area code change implementation

To assure safety and convenience for users, the changing of area codes should start on Saturday or Sunday, avoid public holidays, Tet holidays, particularly as follows:

a) Stage 1: The changing of area codes starts at 00:00 on February 11, 2017:

- Simultaneous dialing starts at 00:00 on February 11, 2017 and ends at 23:59 on March 12, 2017;

- Maintaining notification sounds starts at 00:00 on March 13, 2017 and ends at 23:59 on April 14, 2017;

b) Stage 2: The changing of area codes starts at 00:00 on April 15, 2017:

- Simultaneous dialing starts at 00:00 on April 15, 2017 and ends at 23:59 on May 14, 2017;

- Maintaining notification sounds starts at 00:00 on May 15, 2017 and ends at 23:59 on June 16, 2017;

c) Stage 3: The changing of area codes starts at 00:00 on June 17, 2017:

- Simultaneous dialing starts at 00:00 on June 17, 2017 and ends at 23:59 on July 16, 2017;

- Maintaining notification sounds starts at 00:00 on July 17, 2017 and ends at 23:59 on August 31, 2017;

Detailed description of area code changes in the Annex enclosed herewith.

3. Outcomes of the Plan

All the area codes of 63 provinces, cities across the country shall be changed and put into use in accordance with the telecommunication number storage planning enclosed with the Ministry of Information and Communications’ Circular No. 22/2014/TT-BTTTT dated December 22, 2014.

4. Implementation

4.1. Vietnam Telecommunications Authority shall organize, direct and instruction the implementation of this Plan by telecommunication enterprises, make a review report to leaders of the Ministry.

4.2. Based on this Plan, the agencies and units affiliated to the Ministry of Information and Communications shall communicate and propagate area code changes for relevant organizations and/or individuals in order to minimize possible negative impacts on businesses and service users.

4.3. The Services of Information and Communications of provinces, central-affiliated cities shall cooperate with relevant press agencies and units in the administrative division in propagating and disseminating this Plan.

4.4. Telecommunication enterprises:

a) Construct and develop area code change plan of their own in accordance with this Plan;

b) Make public notice of area code changes on means of mass media at least 60 days before area code change;

c) Provide instructions for telecommunication service users on dialing according to this Plan;

d) Cooperate with relevant domestic and foreign telecommunication enterprises in carrying out area code changes;

dd) Take technical measures to minimize possible impacts on communications before, during and after area code change;

e) Make a written report to Vietnam Telecommunications Authority - the Ministry of Information and Communications on outcomes of the area code change.

Difficulties that arise during the implementation of this Circular should be reported to Vietnam Telecommunications Authority - the Ministry for Information and Communications consideration, instruction and handling.

ANNEX

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AREA CODE CHANGES (Enclosed with the Plan)