Consumers looking to get hold of fancy mobile phone numbers will now get a chance to participate in auctions conducted by the telecom operators under the strict guidance of Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). The upper limit of the auction price has been set at RO5,000, while the minimum amount for diamond and gold numbers is RO100 and RO75 respectively.
Under the non-geographic public telecommunications numbers, TRA has divided special numbers into three categories: diamond, gold and silver numbers. Silver numbers are not included in the auction and have a fixed price of RO50.
In a statement TRA said that the current decision (No 1/2018) has been issued within the framework of achieving transparency in the allocation of telecommunication numbers among users of telecom services. “The diamond and gold numbers will be allocated through auction in accordance with the regulations set forth in the decision.”
The auctions will be held online through telecom operator websites. “TRA requests all interested to register in the auction system (soon) and follow up advertisement of telecom companies about the first electronic auction of special numbers (diamond and golden).”
According to the TRA decision, the registration for the auction will begin three days prior to the auction, with each registration costing RO20.
TRA allocates the operators a block of 100,000 numbers. Each block contains a range of special numbers which are usually extracted separately. There are five types of diamond numbers, and seven of gold and silver numbers each.
According to the decision, trading of special numbers is forbidden except with certain conditions. The exception includes between husband and wife or first degree cousins provided that they should prove such relation officially; between governmental organisation and companies with a government stake and their employees and companies that are classified as first degree ones as per the Ministry of Transport and Communications.