Shortly after MTN announced its new 076 number range, Airtel Uganda has also announced that it has been granted to use the 074 prefix on its numbers. This means Airtel can now issue this range to new customers with the prefix 076 range starting from 0740 000000 to 0740 999999. These number ranges enable customers to access all telecom services.
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Under Section 4(g) of the Uganda Communications Act, Cap 106 Laws of Uganda, UCC is mandated to draw up, establish, amend and enforce a national numbering plan and perform block number allocations.
Numbering enables calls to be routed and charged as well as provide the means to identify customers and service providers in a multi-carrier environment
UCC granted Airtel Uganda the additional blocks of numbers after they demonstrated that they have utilized 75 percent of the last allocated blocks in this case 070 and 075. Airtel was also required to submit the following information before they were given the new number range: Customer growth rates and forecast growth and evidence that numbers will be in service over the next 12 months.
Telecom companies applying for new numbering range also have to give an explanation of the current number utilization in terms of the following which should also be provided to UCC:
- Internal numbers (being used for network testing, temporary assignment to facilitate roaming, and for identification of switches and other network facilities)
- Numbers issued (those allocated to resellers/MVNOs, waiting for activation, reserved by customers, quarantined)
- Numbers available for use
UCC doesn’t charge telecom companies for number allocations except for Short Codes. However, the regulator reserves the right to review this position at any time.
This is the 3rd number range that Airtel Uganda is getting from the telecommunication regulator, they have been using the 075 and 070 numbering ranges, the latter they acquired during the Warid Telecom acquisition. The 740 –744 prefix was previously owned by Sure Telecom Limited according to UCC records. Africell and Uganda telecom use 079 and 071 respectively
