Numbering Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina

The discussions at the technical level concerning the future numbering plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina have been succesfully concluded. The proposed numbering scheme still has to be approved by the Council of Ministers but in the following an overview is given of what has been agreed on at the technical level.

It is important to note that it was agreed that the optimum numbering plan would be a closed plan. This means that the numbering plan would consist only of 8 digit numbers for all calls (local and long distance) within Bosnia and Herzegovina i.e. there will be no more area codes.

However, it was acknowledged that a closed plan could not be immediately implemented because of the extent of elctro-mechanical switches which are still in place and the cost of replacing these ahead of schedule. It was therefore decided that the timing of the conversion from the open to the closed numbering plan, will be subject to a review by the Telecommunications Regulatory Agency at the latest by 31 December 2001.

Another important consideration when developing the numbering plan was the need to allow for competition. It has in fact been designed in such a way that all operators will be able to compete on the whole territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina within the numbering plan. In the early stages this means allocating blocks of subscriber numbers to any operator wishing to provide services outside their present operating area. It should be noted that the area codes will not change - all operators will use the same area codes.

The territorial and administrative structures of the country were taken as the basis for the numbering plan. It was agreed that for the initial, open plan, period the NSN (nationally significant number) would be made up of a 2 digit national destination code (area codes) and a 6 digit subscriber number.

The list of National Destination codes (in alphabetical order) to follow the country code 387 is as follows:

Banja Luka	51
Bijelina	55
Brcko	54
Doboj	53
Gorazde-Upper Drina	38
Herzeg-Bosnia	34
Herzegovina-Neretva	36
Mrkonjic-Grad	50
Middle Bosnia	30
Pale	57
Posavina	31
Prijedor	52
Sarajevo	33
Srbrinje	58
Trebinje	59
Tuzla-Podrinje	35
Una Sana	37
West Herzegovina	39
Zenica-Doboj	32
Zvornik	56

For the GSM mobile networks it has been agreed that there will be a national destination code of 2 digits (66) which will apply to all operators.

The code 112 shall be provided as a general emergency number, but the existing emergency numbers will continue in service whether or not they are advertised.