Historical day – we will forget the usual prefix “8” forever: how did the numbers change in Lithuania?

Starting today, the usual procedure for dialing telephone numbers will no longer exist in Lithuania. The prefix 8, which is widely used by the country’s residents, will have to be abandoned, and instead it will be necessary to use the international prefix +370 or replace the 8 with a 0. However, the changing order of mobile phone numbers is not a novelty. Experts tell how telephone numbers changed in independent Lithuania.

“Today is a historic day in Lithuania, because after the new prefix 0 comes into effect, we are abandoning the old order of dialing by phone number. These changes were implemented gradually, in several stages: last year was devoted to preparation, and from today the changes are already being implemented. The old prefix 8 will continue to work until 2024. of March, but after it expires, you will need to use the national prefix 0 or the international Lithuanian code +370. Those who normally enter numbers in their address books with the international code +370 will not notice the changes”, says Modestas Ropė, director of the new generation network of “Bitė Lietuva”, in a press release.

Made international calls easier

After Lithuania regained its independence, the country was given the prefix +370, says Kristina Mikoliūnienė, a member of the Council of the Communications Regulatory Service (RRT).

“After declaring independence, Lithuania used both the Soviet international phone code +7 and the Soviet national code 8 for a while. Lithuania wanted to move to the European numbering zone. After 1990 With the reunification of East Germany and West Germany, the East German code +37 was abandoned. Since this code became free, the International Telecommunication Union decided to give it to the countries that wanted it, adding one more digit to it. Yes, since 1993. Lithuania received the code +370”, says K. Mikoliūnienė.

M, Ropė, that this made Lithuanian calls abroad especially easier: “Before the national prefix +370 appeared, those who wanted to call abroad had to order this service from the operator. This connected the caller with the interlocutor in another country. Therefore, the introduction of the national prefix solved many inconveniences, both for mobile operators and for the customers themselves”, M. Ropė remembers.

Almost a decade later, another change in dialing numbers reached the residents of Lithuania. In 2001, one more digit was added to the usual seven-digit number combination.

“The national numbering change also took place in 2001, when the numbering was changed from seven digits to eight digits. Another digit 6 was added to the written prefix. Back then, just like now, it was necessary to adapt to the new numbering format,” recalls the director of the new generation network of “Bitė”.

Unique combinations of numbers

With the establishment of the first mobile operators in the country, even more innovations emerged.

Each of them received unique combinations of mobile phone numbers that they provided to customers. It was a feature that, based on the beginning of the number, made it possible to know which operator’s services were being used.

“With the entry of mobile operators into the market, numbering specific to each of the networks appeared. It was controlled by RRT. “Bitė Lietuva” respectively received phone numbers starting with 99, “Tele2” received 84, and the then “Omnitel” used the code 98. From the remaining 5 numbers, number combinations were created for customers. Therefore, if particularly old numbers are available, it is possible to determine which operator’s services the client used, even looking back several decades”, says the director of the new generation network of “Bitė Lietuva”.

The interviewee says that telephone numbers associated with a specific communication provider no longer make sense after the introduction of the number porting service in Lithuania. Today, customers of one communication provider can freely move with their number from one provider to another, so guessing the service provider based on the prefix has become practically impossible.

Numbers were sold even in advertisements

When the first mobile phones came to the market, not only the popularity of these numbers increased, but also the need for exclusive number combinations arose.

As M. Ropė tells, when the trade of prepaid cards started, people sometimes even started selling them: “When in 1997 we started providing the prepaid service “Labas”, when customers purchased prepaid cards, they did not immediately know what number they would receive. It was like a kind of lottery ticket. If a particularly unique or easy-to-remember number came along, people would even start selling it in classifieds. It was a very popular business back then.”

However, as early as 2004, the uniqueness of all telephone numbers issued by operators began to fade. This was due to a new procedure that came into force, which allowed customers to switch from one mobile operator to another while keeping their existing number.

He had been preparing for the change for some time

After the new numbering procedure has changed, RRT council member K. Mikoliūnienė adds that all changes take time.

“The fundamental change in this process will still be changing the habit. RRT actively informs the public about upcoming changes, both through information channels and through projects. It is also a rather optimistic aspect that currently RRT receives more questions about how to write new issues, but not how to collect them. Therefore, everything is fine”, assures the RRT council member.

Business has been preparing for the changes for some time. “We aim to help people adjust to new habits to make the upgrade as smooth as possible.” We inform customers about upcoming changes via short SMS messages. Bites Profai has prepared detailed instructions that will help you renew your number with just a few clicks. However, the most important thing to remember is that changing the prefix will not affect the operation of “Bitė” services. Both call technologies and internet connection, as well as the new generation 5G Internet, will work equally well”, reassures the director of new generation networks of “Bites”.

Press release