PHILIPSBURG:--- The Numbering Plan for Sint Maarten is the first ever and addresses the allocation and management of numbering resources, including but not limited to numbers, carrier codes, short codes, 1-800 numbers etc.
The Government if Sint Maarten duly obtained a country and dialling code for Sint Maarten within the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), with the assignment of 1-721.
Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunications (TEATT) Hon. Romeo Pantophlet, is very pleased with the transition to the new numbering plan.
The NANP is a standardized system of numbering plan areas that has evolved over the years into a code consisting of a three-digit area code (NPA) and a seven-digit subscriber number.
The system was developed in the 1940s and first implemented by AT&T in 1951. Currently the NANP encompasses 24 countries and territories, and these nations share the country code 1 under the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
In the further execution of its authorities and tasks in this area, the Government of Sint Maarten realized that implementation of the new country and dialling code required the introduction of a new numbering plan for the country.
The existing numbering plan came to an end after the country went through a transitory phase after the dismantling of the Netherlands Antilles.
It was in November 2010 that a mandate issued by the Council of Ministers of Sint Maarten allowed for the official transition of Sint Maarten into the NANP on September 11, 2011. A one-year permissive dialling period was instituted to facilitate the transition from the (599) country code of the former Netherlands Antilles to the country code (1) and area code (721).
The Government of Sint Maarten initiated the phased introduction of the new country code and dialling code in close cooperation and consultation with the participants within the telecommunications industry on the island.
During the aforementioned phase, telecommunication service providers worked towards a due implementation and seamless transition into the NANP, the Government of Sint Maarten worked on its numbering plan to create the basis that would support the use of numbering resources in compliance with rules and regulations set by the North American Numbering Association.
Prior to October 10, 2010, Sint Maarten was part of the Netherlands Antilles and the numbering resources used by the country were governed by the National Numbering Plan Netherlands Antilles.
In April 2008, the then Executive Council of the Island Territory of Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles) requested the admittance of the country into the NANP.
The North American Numbering Plan Administration approved Sint Maarten's request in September 2009 and assigned 721 as the area code.
