TOKYO — Japan plans to introduce cellphone numbers beginning with “060,” adding to the existing “090,” “080” and “070” ranges. Although the country already has more than twice as many available numbers as its population of approximately 120 million, authorities warn that the supply could eventually run short. The Mainichi Shimbun looked into the demand for the new mobile number series.
In 1999, all cellphone numbers in Japan started with “090.” Numbers beginning with “080” were added in 2002, followed by the “070” prefix in 2013. Together, the three prefixes provided a numbering capacity of approximately 250 million.
Numbers from lines previously used for services including the Personal Handy-phone System, or PHS, which ceased operation in March 2023, were subsequently added to the pool. Japan now has approximately 270 million numbers available.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, almost all numbers beginning with “090” and “080” had been assigned as of September 2024. Only about 5.3 million “070” numbers remained available.
To prevent a shortage, the ministry plans to release a new block beginning with “060.” The move will add approximately 90 million numbers, increasing Japan’s total numbering capacity to 360 million.
But why does Japan need more than twice as many phone numbers as it has people?
In April this year, telecommunications research firm MMD Labo surveyed 15,000 working people about the mobile phones they currently use at work. Respondents were allowed to select multiple answers.
Company-issued phones were the most common response, cited by 31.4% of respondents. Another 20.2% said they used personally owned phones with their private numbers.
“In the past, some people used their personal phones for work,” said Koji Yoshimoto, head of MMD Labo. “But around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, security concerns and the widespread adoption of remote work led to a sharp increase in the use of cellphones (rather than landlines) for business.”
More people are also maintaining multiple communication methods to reduce the risk of not being able to use their phones in case of an emergency.
Interest in backup lines grew after KDDI Corp. experienced a major network outage in 2022. More users began signing up for a secondary line with a different carrier in addition to their primary one. Major disasters such as earthquakes have also encouraged the trend.
“Phones are now used for a wide range of purposes, including payments,” Yoshimoto said. “A growing number of people are setting up backup lines in preparation for network outages and other disruptions.”
Another factor driving demand for secondary lines is the wide range of telecommunications services and pricing plans now available.
In addition to their main plans, major carriers offer relatively inexpensive services through lower-cost sub-brands, catering to a variety of customer needs. Rakuten Mobile Inc. made a full-scale entry into the market in 2020 as Japan’s fourth major carrier, intensifying price competition.
Mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs, have also become widely established. These companies lease network capacity from major carriers to provide their own telecommunications services. Consumers now have a broader range of options, including budget plans starting at just a few hundred yen (about several dollars) per month.
The question is when the “060” numbers will become available.
Japan’s five major carriers — NTT Docomo Inc., KDDI Corp., SoftBank Corp., Rakuten Mobile Inc. and Okinawa Cellular Telephone Co. — had planned to begin rolling out numbers with the “060” prefix on a phased basis from July 2026. However, the launch was postponed because upgrades to the carriers’ systems were taking longer than expected. The companies currently list the new launch date as “undetermined.”
According to the communications ministry and other sources, there is still sufficient capacity in the existing number ranges, and the “060” numbers will become available once the major carriers have completed the necessary system upgrades.
Many in the industry believe it will take about two years after the rollout begins for “060” numbers to become widespread. It may therefore be some time before the new prefix becomes a familiar sight.
(Japanese original by Yuko Shimada, Business News Department)
