Making phone calls in Mexico will become less complicated next summer with the implementation of a new and simplified dialing system.

First announced by the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) in the fall of 2017, the new system will standardize phone numbers, making them all 10 digits long.

Starting August 3, dialing a phone number will only require the input of 10 digits, whether the call is local or domestic long distance or connecting to a landline or mobile phone.

The prefixes being phased out include the 01 entered before long-distance calls or non-geographical numbers (think 01-800 numbers), and 044 and 045, used to make local and long-distance calls to a mobile phone from a landline.

A long-distance call from abroad to a mobile number in Mexico will no longer need the number 1 before the area code.

The new updated system also means that IFT guarantees equal phone number availability for all telecommunications services providers.

The agency said the system will allow for a more streamlined and standardized dialing procedure and a more efficient administration of numeric resources.

Source: Milenio (sp)