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Eight Digit Telephone
Numbers Around the
Corner
If you weren't aware of
it take note because
come March 20, 2008, all
phones numbers in Costa
Rica will go from seven
digits to eight.
The Instituto
Costarricense de
Electricidad (ICE)
announced the change
earlier this year, where
it will add the number 2
to all phone numbers,
including cellular
phones.
For instance calling
Insidecostarica.com at
231 3205 now, it will
become 2231 3205 come
next March.
The change is costing
ICE us$15 million
dollars (¢7.8 billion
colones ) to purchase
the necessary equipment
to update the switching
system to the new number
combination.
Claudio Bermúdez,
manager of
Telecomunicaciones, the
amount does not include
the cost of the public
campaign and a dozen or
so ICE employees to
adjust the system to the
new platform.
According to Bermúdez,
the Institution is
forced to make the
change from seven to
eight digits due to
growing demand for
telephone services and
the shortage of seven
digit numbers.
An alternative was to
introduce a second area
code in the country, one
for the San José greater
area and one for the the
rest of the country as
it has been done in many
countries.
ICE during the past two
years has had to add the
"5" prefix to fixed
telephone lines in San
José, confusing many as
the 5 prefix had been
exclusively assigned to
fixed telephones lines
in the Cartago province.
Up to twelve years ago,
all telephone numbers in
the country were six
digits and began with 2.
Due to growth, ICE
assigned each province
with a prefix; San José
and Heredia with 2,
Alajuela with 4, Cartago
with 5, Puntarenas and
Limón with 6 and
Guanacaste with 7. The
prefix 3 and 8 was
reserved for cellular
lines and 9 for special
numbers.
So, twelve years
ago, the number in San
José 21 - 21 -21, for
instance, was converted
to 221 21 21. Some of
the old signs on stores
around the country still
only have the six digits
and some old timers will
still only give out
their six digit number,
when asked, instead of
seven.
Bermúdez added that with
the eight digit numbers
ICE will have
100.000.000 combinations
available, though only
10 million will be used
for fixed lines and
another 10.000 for
cellular phones.
The new system is
expected to be in use
for the next 30 years.
Howevr, on March 31,
1994, the day when ICE
went to the seven digits
from six, it said the
new system would meet
the demands for the next
40 years.
Currenlty, there are 1
million fixed line
customers (765.000
residential and 235.000
commercial) and 1.5
million cellular line
customers (500.000 TDMA
and 1.000.000 GSM).
Bermúdez added that the
only numbers not to be
affected by the change
are: 911 (emergency),
118 (Firefigthers), 128
(Red Cross), and 115
(ICE customer service.
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Beginning
March 20, 2008,all telephone numbers in
Costa Rica will be 8 digits, as the
telephone company adds the prefix 2 to
all existing telephone numbers>
The number 231 3205 today will convert o
2231 3205 next March. |
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