Pre-empting problematic European Community discussions on a Europe-wide telephone numbering system, the UK Office of Telecommunications has decided to use the spare ‘011X’ prefixes for five regional cities, rather than keeping it back for use in London. The decision means that London faces two more numbering changes in the next 10 years. The five cities – Bristol, Leeds, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield – will get their new numbers at the same time as the rest of the UK goes over to 11-digit numbers, in 1995. But the Telecommunications Managers’ Association has criticised the decision. David Harrington, the TMA’s director general, commented, We proposed that the 011 series be reserved for London. We know that despite the 11-digit numbering scheme, London will run out of numbers by 2005. Using the 011 prefix for London, introduced along with the 11-number system, would give London enough numbers to last beyond 2005. But Peter DuPont, Oftel’s spokesman, said that as the current plans should last London another 10 years, Oftel was satisfied that another change was reasonable. And the TMA has wider reservations about the 11-digit scheme. Harrington said that most subscriber equipment – including burglar alarms and personal accident alarm systems – cannot cope with the extra digit. But, said Harrington, We put these arguments forward, and we lost, I think because of BT. They’d already set the juggernaut rolling, and once a juggernaut’s rolling it’s very difficult to stop it or deflect it. British Telecommunications Plc commented All BT equipment will have no problems with the additional number – and users will have had a three-year lead time to prepare for it.
