Passage To Eight Digits: Emtel Phones and MTML Concerned

These telephone lines of Emtel and Mahanagar Telephone Mauritius Ltd (MTML). Only fixed lines using the network of copper son therefore remain to seven digits.

According to an informed source, the cost of the necessary investment from Mauritius Telecom which is the origin of the non-passage of these fixed lines to eight digits. Indeed, the incumbent believes it would have cost twice as much to spend eight-digit whole lines only mobile lines as will be the case on September 1.

The argument used by the authorities to accept this option is the steady decline in the number of fixed lines in Mauritius, compared to mobile lines. Another advanced by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) explanation is the need redundancy. Indeed, it should be noted that, during the transition to eight digits on the night of August 31 to September 1, the GSM network is very likely to be disrupted for several hours and users will therefore be able to use fixed lines when necessity.

ICTA notes that it is not uncommon in the world to have the same numbers téléphons countries with the number of digits. It should therefore not pose technical problems, according to the regulator. Moreover, it is increasingly likely that the fixed lines on the copper network never go to eight digits.