Japan will begin assigning mobile phone numbers starting with the prefix 060 in July 2026 [1].
The expansion is necessary to prevent a critical shortage of available numbers as consumers increasingly adopt multiple connected devices. The rise of smartphones, tablets, and mobile routers has shifted usage patterns, meaning a single individual often requires several distinct lines [2].
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, in coordination with major carriers including NTT Docomo, KDDI, SoftBank, and Rakuten Mobile, will implement the change [1, 2]. This move adds 90 million new numbers to the national numbering plan [2]. Once the rollout is complete, the total pool of available mobile numbers in Japan will reach 360 million [2].
Previously, the Japanese mobile market relied on the 090, 080, and 070 prefixes [2]. The decision to introduce 060 follows years of discussion regarding the sustainability of the current numbering system.
Ishikawa Atsushi said that people now hold not just smartphones, but tablets and peripheral equipment or routers. He said that some individuals hold two or three numbers instead of just one, leading to the current shortage [2].
The rollout is part of a broader effort to ensure that telecommunications infrastructure can keep pace with the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) and multi-device households. By expanding the prefix options, the government aims to maintain the stability of the mobile network and support continued economic activity [1, 2].
“Japan will begin assigning mobile phone numbers starting with the prefix 060 in July 2026.”
This expansion reflects the evolution of mobile connectivity from a personal communication tool to a foundational utility for a wide array of hardware. As Japan integrates more IoT devices and multi-device ecosystems into daily life, the physical limit of the numbering plan became a bottleneck. The addition of 90 million numbers provides a significant buffer, ensuring that the digital infrastructure can support the next decade of device growth without requiring a complete overhaul of the national dialing system.
