[comp.dcom.telecom] Knowing if You Are Dialing a Toll Call

Ken Dykes <kgdykes@watmath.waterloo.edu> (05/19/91)

johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine) wrote:
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 370, Message 3 of 9

> In article <telecom11.366.3@eecs.nwu.edu> is written:

>> Here there is a rule (unwritten but pretty strong) that you can't be
>> billed for a seven-digit call.

> When interchangable area codes arrive in about 1995, dial-1-for-money
> simply won't work any more.  The leading 1 will have to mean that an
> area code follows.  Unlucky folks in areas with old equipment will...

So, why doesn't the foney company come up with "Yet Another Dialing
Prefix" which means "do not complete this call if it is a toll call."

The paranoids and pager users can use it; the rest of us lazy-slobs-happy-
with-the-status-quo can forget about it.

Heck, maybe some brain damaged pbx/key systems could be programmed to
prepend all outgoing calls with the prefix when coming from
unauthorized extensions.


   Ken Dykes, Thinkage Ltd., Kitchener, Ontario, Canada    [43.47N 80.52W]
     kgdykes@watmath.waterloo.edu  [129.97.128.1]        watmath!kgdykes

kgoins@amix.commodore.com> (05/21/91)

As a side note, in the 215 area code you need not (and I think on 1
Jan 92 you won't be allowed to) dial a "1" to get any number in the
215 A/C. The reason stated by Bell Of PA is to FREE up enough
space/lines/exch anges or somethings until they can upgrade there
system in future. To me it's not knowing if I'm making a TOLL CALL or
NOT.  Sounds more like a way to raise my phone bill.


Kirk Goins   UUCP: uunet!cbmvax!amix!undrground!kgoins
Internet: undrground!kgoins@amix.commodore.com

Carl Moore (VLD/VMB) <cmoore@brl.mil> (05/24/91)

I sent mail directly to Kirk Goins explaining that 215 is running out
of NNX prefixes.  When you have to start using N0X/N1X prefixes, long
distance within your area can no longer be 1 + 7D; you have to use 7D
or (to keep the leading 1 for all long distance) 1 + NPA + 7D.

robert@uunet.uu.net> (05/25/91)

undrground!kgoins@amix.commodore.com (Kirk Goins) writes:

> As a side note, in the 215 area code you need not (and I think on 1
> Jan 92 you won't be allowed to) dial a "1" to get any number in the
> 215 A/C. The reason stated by Bell Of PA is to FREE up enough
> space/lines/exch anges or somethings until they can upgrade there
> system in future. To me it's not knowing if I'm making a TOLL CALL or
> NOT.  Sounds more like a way to raise my phone bill.

Actually, the old Bell of PA usage of the 1+7D to indicate toll calls
within the 215 area code was a kludge that violated the BellCore North
American Numbering Plan.  Bell of PA has to correct this kludge which
*DOES* free up more numbers (allowing area-code like N1X/N0X
exchanges) and exhaust those before BellCore will allocate a new area
code for a split.  


Robert Oliver   Rabbit Software Corp.	215 993-1152 
7 Great Valley Parkway East    robert@hutch.Rabbit.COM

[Moderator's Note: Mr. Oliver's signature did not say *which city or
state* he is located in -- I didn't truncate it!   :)   PAT]