UIFN Registrar Function

In 1996, ITU launched the world’s first Universal International Freephone Numbers, which allowed businesses to offer clients around the world a single, centralized global phone number for accessing customer service, tele-sales or information services. The Union’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB) continues to act as global registrar for this service, processing 4 199 applications for freephone numbers during 2000, for a total of 21 700 numbers now in service.

In 2000, TSB also assumed additional global registrar functions for two new special number services, International Shared Cost Numbers (ISCN) and Universal International Premium Rate Numbers (UIPRN). UIPRN allows companies to provide telecoms-based services and products to callers in other countries using the same, centralized phone number, enabling consumers across the region or around the world to access recorded information services and other telephone-based services like opinion surveys, promotions and competitions, through a single number. ISCN provides a centralized number which allows users in selected countries to contact companies and organizations abroad for the same price as a standard national call in their home country.