Numbers are useful resources to provide service to end-users and promote competition and innovation in telecommunications services. Network operators require numbers to implement telecommunications services and provide them to end-users of telecommunications services such as:

  • Fixed telephony;

  • Mobile telephony;

  • Internet-based telecommunications services;

  • Short codes including Emergency services and directory services;

  • Value Added information Services, countrywide services, and commonly recognized national services;

  • Premium Rates Services (PRS);

  • Toll-Free numbers, and

  • Defined numbering blocks reserved for future allocation and applications

Role of Telephone Numbers

Primary Role of Numbers:

  • Naming and addressing, i.e. routing calls or messages to a particular subscriber or particular termination point within a network;

Secondary Role of Numbers:

  • Providing callers with an indication of the likely costs of calling a number, e.g.

          o   Geographic significant information,

          o   On-net versus off-net calls,

          o   Used by operators to calculate retail billing rates and wholesale (i.e. interconnection) call charges

  • Branding

          o   Particular types of services (e.g. toll free services or information services)

          o   Particular operators or networks

  • Providing call trace, malicious calls identification and fraud prevention and detection.

Management of Numbering Resources

The management, administration, and governance of the Vanuatu National Numbering Plan are provided under the Telecommunications and Radiocommunications Regulation Act No. 30 of 2009 (the Act) and the National Numbering Plan and Procedures.