Direct mobile numbers to be banned in Russia

The Russian Ministry of Informational Technologies and Communications is going to amend the "Rules of usage and allocation of numeration resources" in order to forbid mobile operators to distribute direct phone numbers among their clients.

Starting January 1 2006 mobile phone operators were banned from owning direct numbers, but entrepreneurs found a way out: they rented phone numbers from fixed line providers, so that their subscribers could conclude a trilateral agreement with mobile and fixed line operators. The new act prohibits rental of direct numbers as numeration resources should be used for rendering of communication services in the operator's network only.

However, the next day after the amendments were announced, the Ministry issued a clarification saying that fixed line providers must give a share of telephone numbers to mobile operators, who in their turn must possess a license for local communication. Experts say that all the biggest mobile phone operators have such a license; thus, the vast majority of subscribers will keep their direct numbers.