The Office of the Communications Authority ("OFCA") advises that with effect from 1 July 2021, only numbers in 25 specific number blocks in the "7(1-3)X" levels ("Specific Number Blocks") with prefixes listed in the table below will be used for providing paging services in Hong Kong.

The foregoing arrangement is to implement one of the measures announced by the Communications Authority (“CA”) in June 2016 to achieve more efficient use of the existing 8-digit numbering plan in Hong Kong, through relocation of some of the existing numbers used for paging services to the Specific Number Blocks, so as to make available more of the existing number resources for mobile services. After implementation of the measure, around one million numbers can be additionally released for allocation to mobile services. The relevant details are provided in the statement issued by the CA and published at https://www.coms-auth.hk/filemanager/statement/en/upload/369/ca_statements20160624_en.pdf.

Whilst paging service subscribers currently using numbers in the Specific Number Blocks will not be affected, in order to minimise the impact on the customers using paging numbers in number blocks other than the Specific Number Blocks, the CA has set a long transitional period of five years from June 2016 to June 2021 to allow the industry sufficient time to make the necessary preparation including notification to the affected customers. During the transition period, paging service providers should make the necessary arrangements with their affected customers to change to use paging numbers in the Specific Number Blocks before 1 July 2021, or other appropriate arrangements.

OFCA urges members of the public still using paging numbers in number blocks other than the Specific Number Blocks to contact their paging service provider as soon as possible for changing the current paging numbers of their services to paging numbers in the Specific Number Blocks, if they would like to continue to use paging services on or after 1 July 2021.

Office of the Communications Authority
31 May 2021