Mr. Do Hoang Trung, The Committee - man, Director, Department of Information and Communications, Can Tho city.

To better understand the work of converting the fixed telephone area code as well as the direct impact of this on the users in Can Tho city, The Editorial Board of Can Tho Portal had a conversation with Mr. Do Hoang Trung - The Committee -man, Director, Department of Information and Communications of Can Tho city to provide specific information to readers.

Hello! Could you please indicate how the transformation of fixed telephone area codes in Can Tho city is done ?

Can Tho city is among the 23 provinces and cities that make the conversion of fixed telephone area codes in the 2nd period at 00: 00 hour of April the 15th of 2017, in which the first digits "710" will be changed into "292". Therefore, the current telephone number of the Editorial Board of Can Tho Portal will be changed from 0710.3690090  to  0292.3690090 .

Does the conversion of fixed telephone area code  affect the users ?

The conversion of fixed telephone area code will not affect customers as well as fixed telephone users. However, the users will have certain difficulties because they are not familiar with the new area code.

In order to facilitate the users during the transfer as well as to minimize the loss of contact, the switch will be implemented in 2 steps:

First, using technical support for parallel dialing within 30 days since it started switching. Specifically, the subscribers calling to "710" or "292" will be accepted during this period. Besides, the sound will remain informing about the code change in Vietnamese and English.

Second, we stop the parallel dialing at 00: 00 of May the 15th of 2017  but we maintain a notification sound of changing area code in Vietnamese and English until June the 16th of 2017. Specifically, the fixed telephone area code in Can Tho city is only "292" since May the 15th of 2017. For example: The phone number of the Editorial Board of Can Tho Portal is 0292.3690090 (the old one is: 0710.3690090).

The conversion of telephone area codes are more or less affected to the habit usages of many people, but why does the Ministry of Information and Communications have the policy of telephone area code switch? and  what does this mean?

The conversion of telephone area codes is one of the steps following the plan  of the arrangement of repository of telecommunication prescribed in Circular No. 22/2014 / TT- BTTTT of  the Ministry of Information and Communications.

As we all know, the repository of telecommunication, especially the current area and network codes of Viet Nam have existed for more than 50 years - since the foundation of Viet Nam Telecommunications . For over 50 years, the business of telecommunications as well as telecommunication technology has changed rapidly. Formerly, the number of mobile users was very low but that of  the fixed telephone was very high. However, this picture has changed completely in recent years. Fixed telephone services decrease while mobile services increase quickly. Meanwhile, the repository of telecommunication remains the numbers of 50 years ago, in which there are many fixed telephone codes (7 codes) and less mobile codes (2 codes) in total of 9 codes. So, the planning of the new telecom inventory as well as the conversion of fixed telephone area code is needed and "cannot further delay." The the arrangement of repository of telecommunication as well as the conversion of fixed telephone area codes are very necessary and “urgent”. The conversion of fixed telephone area codes also aims to reduce its impacts on the national telecommunication network, to stabilize the repository and to ensure the development in this field.

Thank you very much.