Back in 2002, when Lithuania was preparing to join the European Union, a change in the telephone numbering plan was launched. The legal documents then set a national prefix of 0 to replace 8. The implementation of numbering became the responsibility of then newly established Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA). More than 20 years later, with the technical hurdles now cleared, we can begin the process of saying goodbye to the prefix 8.
Those who already use the Lithuanian code +370 when storing their contact numbers in their notebooks will not be affected at all. However, if your contacts have phone numbers entered using the prefix 8, it will be possible to change it to 0 after a year. Intercity prefix 8 is scheduled to finally expire on 1 December 2025, unless the timetable for the introduction of prefix 0 changes following the ongoing public consultation.
“The completion of the numbering system over 20 years ago and the introduction of the national prefix 0 were hampered by the use of emergency short numbers, some of which used 0 as the start of the number: 01, 02, 03, 101, 102, 103, 011, 022, 033. For this reason, the transition period during which the intercity prefix 8 is used has been prolonged,” says Indrė Jurgelionienė, Director of CRA’s Network Regulation Department.
The switch-off of emergency short numbers on 1 April 2022 and the operation of the emergency number 112 allow the introduction of the national prefix 0. As the technical barriers to the deployment of the national prefix are no longer in place, the CRA has launched a public consultation on the implementation plan for national prefix 0, which expires on 20 January 2023.
“The phasing proposed in our national prefix 0 implementation action plan will allow economic operators to adequately prepare for the implementation of national prefix 0. We believe that the biggest challenge for consumers will come from the change in their dialling habits from 8 to 0. Changing contact details in various databases and reviewing contacts in personal phone books can also cause temporary inconvenience,” says I. Jurgelionienė.
Updated on 2023-08-01