An Easy Plan to Unify The Telephone Numbering Systems of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
My Modest Telephony Proposal
I realized this could all be done better. For a better plan, skip to the bottom.
As some of us are aware, the UK recently left the EU. And there is a small possibility that Northern Ireland may or may not rejoin Ireland, or may become independent but choose to adopt the Irish +353 international calling code. I don't know what they want to do. I don't live in those places, I'm not telling anybody what they should do with their countries, I'm just showing you some ideas, just in case that's what happens.
This change will be very easy, because there are very few number doubles already. For land lines, Northern Ireland is currently +44 28 xxxx xxxx. It can currently be dialed from Ireland with 048. 048 xxxx xxxx. So just change the international code and area code to 0353 48 xxxx xxxx. This will only change how other countries call in. The UK can choose to reserve 028 to call Northern Ireland. They have plenty of free numbers if they need them.
Cell phone numbers are more difficult to alter, because as far as I'm aware, each one needs to be done manually. I could be wrong. However, I'm trying to minimize phone number changes, and it's easier to change land line numbers. Northern numbers use the UK's 07xxx xxx xxx format, which conflicts with 074 and 071 in the northwest parts of Ireland (used in places such as Sligo, Manorhamilton, Carrick-on-Shannon, Bundoran Letterkenny, Donegal, Ballybofey, and others.) Luckily, Ireland reserved 03 as an expansion code. Now hear me out here, I don't want to use up all of 03. Only the 037 block.
071 will switch to 0371.
074 will switch to 0374.
All the other 03 numbers can still remain reserved for the unforeseeable future. 030-036, 038, and 039 can stay unused, to help expand the rest of the Irish continent when that time comes. 037 numbers other than 0371 and 0374 can be used however Ireland wishes.
(Another possibility which just occurred to me would be to use 0301 and 0304, which wouldn't even be needed for expansion anyway, as no area code currently begins with 00)
There will be an adjustment period for 071 and 074 numbers, which is normal for area code changes. After this, Northern Ireland's 07xxx cell numbers can join +353. The UK can choose to allow those numbers to simultaneously remain directly dialable from the UK unless they wish to duplicate them domestically.
This also gives Ireland an extra pool of cell numbers when 08 runs out. However, if Ireland chooses to duplicate UK cell numbers domestically in the future, then the grandfathered Northern Irish 07 numbers would mandatorily need to begin using +44 to call phones who still live in the UK.
In summary, only two land line codes will change, Ireland will mostly not lose an expansion code, and Ireland WILL gain a cell phone expansion code.
Alternate Plan
My Modest Telephony Proposal
I realized this could all be done better. For a better plan, skip to the bottom.
As some of us are aware, the UK recently left the EU. And there is a small possibility that Northern Ireland may or may not rejoin Ireland, or may become independent but choose to adopt the Irish +353 international calling code. I don't know what they want to do. I don't live in those places, I'm not telling anybody what they should do with their countries, I'm just showing you some ideas, just in case that's what happens.
Current Numbering Plan
This change will be very easy, because there are very few number doubles already. For land lines, Northern Ireland is currently +44 28 xxxx xxxx. It can currently be dialed from Ireland with 048. 048 xxxx xxxx. So just change the international code and area code to 0353 48 xxxx xxxx. This will only change how other countries call in. The UK can choose to reserve 028 to call Northern Ireland. They have plenty of free numbers if they need them.
Cell phone numbers are more difficult to alter, because as far as I'm aware, each one needs to be done manually. I could be wrong. However, I'm trying to minimize phone number changes, and it's easier to change land line numbers. Northern numbers use the UK's 07xxx xxx xxx format, which conflicts with 074 and 071 in the northwest parts of Ireland (used in places such as Sligo, Manorhamilton, Carrick-on-Shannon, Bundoran Letterkenny, Donegal, Ballybofey, and others.) Luckily, Ireland reserved 03 as an expansion code. Now hear me out here, I don't want to use up all of 03. Only the 037 block.
071 will switch to 0371.
074 will switch to 0374.
All the other 03 numbers can still remain reserved for the unforeseeable future. 030-036, 038, and 039 can stay unused, to help expand the rest of the Irish continent when that time comes. 037 numbers other than 0371 and 0374 can be used however Ireland wishes.
Numbering Plan after
Unification, if it happens
(Another possibility which just occurred to me would be to use 0301 and 0304, which wouldn't even be needed for expansion anyway, as no area code currently begins with 00)
There will be an adjustment period for 071 and 074 numbers, which is normal for area code changes. After this, Northern Ireland's 07xxx cell numbers can join +353. The UK can choose to allow those numbers to simultaneously remain directly dialable from the UK unless they wish to duplicate them domestically.
This also gives Ireland an extra pool of cell numbers when 08 runs out. However, if Ireland chooses to duplicate UK cell numbers domestically in the future, then the grandfathered Northern Irish 07 numbers would mandatorily need to begin using +44 to call phones who still live in the UK.
In summary, only two land line codes will change, Ireland will mostly not lose an expansion code, and Ireland WILL gain a cell phone expansion code.
Alternate Plan
Ok, I just thought of a better plan. After hours of writing that first plan, and feeling bad for the good people of 071 and 074, AND after presenting my plan to the proper regulatory agency, I thought maybe it is easier for cell phones to change nowadays than I once believed. If that is the case, and considering that in the event of a country code change that people will have to change their numbers anyway, maybe we can leave 071 and 074 alone and just change Northern cell numbers. According to wikipedia, 081, 082, 084, and 088 are available. The UK style cell phones in the 07xxx xxx xxx format could remove the 7 and use 084 xxx xxx xxx (for example) instead. I'm not sure if Ireland can handle eleven digit numbers, that's the only possible issue other than the feasability of changing all those numbers. This also provides a very large pool of numbers in 084.
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