Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) is reminding callers that mandatory 10-digit dialling for all local calls become effective today (Mar 31).

Last year May a new area code, 658, was implemented in Jamaica to augment the supply of numbers provided under the existing area code 876.

This made it necessary to introduce mandatory 10 digit dialling for all local calls.

Effective March 31, 2019 calls made with only 7 digits will not be completed.

OUR Public Education Specialist Elizabeth Bennett Marsh says the caller will instead hear a message from their telecoms provider, reminding them to dial all ten digits.

The OUR says mandatory 10 digit dialling is not intended to alter or replace any existing special arrangements or agreements that customers have with their service providers for the handling or treatment of incoming calls.

Last week, Jamaica’s 2 main telephone service providers – Flow and Digicel – said they are 100 % ready for the implementation of mandatory ten digit dialling.

Meantime, Flow has indicated that it will facilitate a temporary exception for machine to machine communication, which will cover non-compliant point of sale terminals, as well as alarm systems.

This after Flow noted that several entities had still not completed the necessary preparation required for a seamless transition to mandatory ten-digit dialling.

This exception will expire on Tuesday, April 30.