Malta to Migrate All Premium Rate SMS's to Standard Number Plan

The Malta Communications Authority has said that with immediate effect, any number allocated to a new Value Added SMS service will have to begin with the digit '5'. This emerged through a decision notice published by the MCA.

Value Added SMS Services are relatively new to the local market and make use of SMS to provide content services to the user, such as ring-tone downloads and sport results. In the very near future, government applications will also be provided through such services. Whereas most value added SMS Services are charged at premium rates, in the case of mGovernment, this is not expected to take place. Government application services, which are considered to be Value Added SMS Services will be charged at the standard SMS rate and not at a premium rate.

The recent take off of such services, has created a need to develop a suitable administrative framework to manage the numbers allocated to such services. Mobile operators are obliged to comply to the two-year migration period established by the MCA, whereby already existing Value Added SMS numbers would migrate to the new set of numbers all beginning with the digit '5'. This digit already has some special value as a consumer protection measure since it is already in operation by fixed telephony premium rate services such as television competitions and televoting services.

Allocating the numbering range '5' to such services provides a clear separation of premium-rate numbers from other numbers allowing the user to immediately identify the cost entailed and the content implications of using these numbers. The MCA is stressing that the mobile operators have a responsibility to clearly stipulate the charge applicable to each Value Added SMS service in use."

Posted to the site on 27th February 2003