Zamtel harmonises short codes
ZAMTEL has commenced the process of harmonis ing some short codes used for its common services.
This is in line with a directive from Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) to have all mobile network providers harmo nise their codes for com monly used services.
Zamtel Corporate Communications
Manager Changwe Kabwe said the harmonised short codes would enhance cus tomer experience.
He indicated that sub scribers would now be using standardised short codes to access common services.
Mr Kabwe said the process was started on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 and this would run parallel short codes for a period of six months as guided by ZICTA.
“We are happy to inform our subscribers that in line with a ZICTA directive, we are running parallel short codes as a final step to wards harmonizing our codes for common services.
“We are confident that by April 30, 2022, all the codes for the services that are common among the operators such as Mobile Money, Talk Time Sharing and Borrowing including Data and minute offer purchases would be fully harmonised and assimi lated by our subscribers,” Mr Kabwe said.
He said Zamtel ful ly supports the move by ZICTA as it falls in line with industry best practices in the use and management of short codes.
Mr Kabwe said the directive by ZICTA was commendable and would ultimately benefit the con sumer with ease of use and enhanced convenience.
“We are happy that we are moving towards a harmonised approach in the use of short codes. We commend ZICTA for this progressive move and we are looking forward to seeing our subscribers use same short codes for com mon services across all the network providers.
“As Zamtel, we will op erate parallel short codes during the migration pe riod, after which we shall have only the new codes running,” he added.
Mr Kabwe indicated that Zamtel would be us ing the existing and new short codes in parallel for six months after which the existing codes would be disabled adding that sub scribers trying to access old short codes would be informed of the new short codes via SMS.
According to ZICTA, Zamtel Mobile Money Short Code344 would change to 115 whereas the short code for Buying Data 355 and minute offers on 422 would shift to117.