Vietnam mobile users face phone number reshuffle

HO CHI MINH CITY -- Vietnam is set to change millions of phone numbers starting March 1, to make sure it has enough numbers for the flood of mobile phone users in the country.

According to Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications, the first change will be to area codes for land-line numbers. New area codes will be assigned to 59 of Vietnam's 63 provinces, including big cities. Hanoi's current area code, 4, will become 24. Ho Chi Minh City will be 28 instead of 8. Da Nang's 511 will become 236, while Haiphong, now 31, will be 225. Can Tho will be changed to 292 from 710.

Four provinces will keep their codes: Hoa Binh, Ha Giang, Vinh Phuc and Phu Tho.

The changes will take place over two years. The old numbers will still work during the transition period, but subscribers are expected to be assigned new numbers before 2016.

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