The Government of South Sudan says the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) will allocate a new telephone code to South Sudan 15 days after the declaration of its independence.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Telecommunication and Postal Services, Juma Stephen Lugga, told SCR news that the ITU Secretary General has considered the request by the ministry and will give the South the three digits code after the UN has recognized the country as an independent state.
Six telecommunication companies currently operate in south Sudan. MTN’s manager, Syed Mohammed Awais, told SCR news that the change in the operator code will create some disruptions among subscribers.
The telecom sector in Southern Sudan currently has an annual growth rate of 30% making it the among the fastest growing in the world, so a new code will be one of the more visible ways of announcing to the world that the South is no longer part of Sudan and the 249 code, but it is an independent nation with its own three digit dialling code.