It is an essential part of Internet of Things (IoT), an industry that the government expects to grow at a rapid pace. Tech fads of connecting everything from door locks and wearable devices to traffic signals and waste control systems to a vast network all fall under the ambit of IoT.
M2M numbers are the ones that are used for SIMs in devices like swipe machines, cars, electricity meters etc. Officials from Bharti Airtel–India’s largest telecom service provider, Reliance Jio and telecom industry body COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India) confirmed to TOI that the mobile numbers we have and use remain unaffected by this development.
Earlier this month, the DoT had issued a directive to telecom operators mentioning the implementation of 13-digit numbering scheme for M2M communication.”Migration of existing l0-digit M2M numbers to 13 digits will start latest by October 1, 2018 and shall be completed by December 31, 2018,” the DoT order stated. All new M2M mobile connections will be allocated l3-digit numbers from July 1, 2018, it added.
If the decision is implemented, India will become the country with the longest mobile numbers, with China the only country at scale with 11 digit mobile numbers, not counting the area code. Apart from this, only French regions of Gaudeloupe, Martinique and Reunion have longer numbers
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