This is remarkably well thought out…not! The Hindustan Times reports that the Department of Telecommunications has asked mobile content service providers to switch to five digit short codes, as a part of the “National Numbering Plan”. They’ve given six months to make that switch. The reason? With increasing number of subscribers and services, apparently it will be difficult to allot the numbers.
Will all that money spent in brand building (8888, Star7827, 6388, 2622, 2525 etc ) go to waste? The CII is planning to take it up, and I think this is the right time for the IAMAI to step in. Did I hear someone in the corridors of power say: Why is there a problem? Just add another digit... In this case, the number that mobile content providers have to add is Five (5), in the beginning.