THUNDER BAY — Mobility customers of Tbaytel will be introduced to mandatory 10-digit dialing this spring, but for landline customers the change will happen much later in the year.
The company is adopting a phased-in approach to implementing the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications order that Tbaytel and all other telecommunication service providers switch to 10-digit dialing this year, something that's already in place in most areas of the country.
The CRTC issued the order to facilitate the launch of 988, a new national 3-digit number for mental health and suicide prevention, on Nov. 30, 2023.
Tbaytel mobility customers will be asked to use the 807 area code plus the 7-digit phone number when dialing starting April 1.
Those who do not will hear a recorded message reminding them of the switchover before their call is processed, but on May 31 the call will not go through unless all 10 digits have been dialed.
"For our landline network, we are shooting for later in 2023 for it to be implemented," Tbaytel communication coordinator Jamie Smith said on Wednesday. "We're doing some maintenance and overhauling of our core networks for voice and landline. That's why we're taking this phased approach. We're modernizing our network and making it more efficient."
There is no set date yet for home phone and business voice customers to begin using 10 digits, but the transition will begin sometime in the fall, with full implementation expected by early 2024.
Tbaytel will launch a public education campaign next week.
It's also sending letters to some customers who subscribe to a home security monitoring system, advising that it might be necessary for a technician to visit their residence.
As part of the transition to 10-digit dialing, security equipment in residences and businesses may need to be re-programmed.
Over the coming months, Tbaytel said it will attempt to do this remotely for its affected customers, but in cases where that's not possible it will contact subscribers to schedule an on-site visit.
"Many security systems have a pre-programmed number in case of emergency. In some cases that includes the area code. In other cases it doesn't. It depends on the legacy of the equipment," Smith said. "With the introduction of 10-digit dialing, it's possible that some systems may not connect to emergency calls to our Tbaytel monitoring station."
He said re-programming the equipment, either remotely or on-site, will ensure it functions properly.
Smith noted that this will only be necessary for certain security customers with a telephone-based connection to the monitoring station.
He said most security systems available today rely on an internet or cellular-based connection, and will not be impacted by the 10-digit mandate.
More information on the change to 10-digit dialing is available on the Tbaytel website and on the website of the Telecommunications Alliance.
