Egyptian mobile phone numbers will all change on Thursday 6 October as part of a state drive to meet increased user demand, the National Telecom Regulatory Authority has announced.
The changes will mean every Egyptian mobile phone number will now be 11 digits in length.
Amendments will be different for each of Egypt's three mobile operators:
Etisalat
Current 10 digit numbers, which all start 01, will take an extra 1. They will now begin 011
Current 11 digit numbers, which all start 0152, will change the 5 to a 1. They will now begin 0112
Mobinil
Current 10 digit numbers, which start 01, will add a 2. They will now begin 012
Current 11 digit numbers, which start 0150, will replace the 5 with a 2. They will begin 0120
Vodafone
Current 10 digit numbers, which start 01, will add a 0. They will now start 010
Current 11 digit numbers, which start 0151, will replace 5 with 0. They will start 0101
Mobile operators will have four months to fully comply with the decision, during which time users will be able to call using either the old number or the amended one.
Egypt had 76.43 million mobile users as of June, up 30 per cent on the year before, government figures showed on Monday.
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