djcl@contact.uucp (woody) (02/03/91)
[This is the info in the 28 January 1991 _Bell_News_ on the eagerly awaited splitting of the 416 area code by Bell Canada.] 416 area code to split By Deborah Sura TORONTO - Ballerinas do it. Gymnasts do it. Even bananas do it! In this case "it" is the splits, and Bell will be doing just that with its 416 area code in late 1993. Rapid growth within the Golden Horseshoe region, which stretches from Colborne in the east, around Lake Ontario to Fort Erie [map was printed to accompany the article], as well as the popularity of new communication technologies like cellular and faxes, have created a huge demand for telephone exchanges and phone numbers. About a year ago, Bell took steps to alleviate the problem by implementing a system whereby either 1+416 or 0+416 is dialed when placing long distance calls within the "416" area. This measure freed up the use of "0" and "1" for use as the second digit in telephone exchanges providing tens of thousands of new telephone numbers, but by the end of 1993 the supply will be exhausted. In order to provide numbers for our customers in the years to come, Bell will introduce a new area code on October 4, 1993. Metropolitan Toronto will retain the 416 area code and the rest of what is now 416 will be assigned to the new code. "A steering committee and several working committees within Bell have been set up to ensure a smooth transition not only for our Networks, Sales and Service people, but primarily for our customers whom they support," says Ted Edmonds, associate director, Network Planning. A major communications campaign has been developed to get the message across. "Focus studies of business and residence customers revealed that most participants readily accepted the reason for the area code split when it was clearly stated. However, they were concerned about who would get the new area code, how it would affect their bills, and changes to their dialing," points out Geoff Matthews, associate director, News & Information. Bell plans to announce the new area code at a press conference on March 25 as part of the official campaign launch. Coincident activities include visits from Bell officials to advise our major-impact clients, such as the municipal governments, a direct-mail package to all business customers and a billing insert in April to all 416-area-code- customers to give general notification of the change. Detailed mailings will follow closer to the implementation date. A key issue to be communicated to the 1.7 million customers who will be transferred to the new area code is that the change will not be reflected on their phone bills. Calls placed within a customer's local calling area will remain toll free. The only difference will be the addition of three digits (416 or the new area code) when placing a call into or out of metro Toronto. To ease the changeover, there will be a three-month period of permissive dialing followed by a period of automated referrals on misdialed calls. As well, a training video produced by our Region's Audio-Visual team will help Bell employees handle their customers' concerns, and a 416-Changeover Hotline will provide a direct means of answering customer queries. [note from djcl@contact - No info on just what the number of the new area code will be; perhaps that will be announced at the 25th March press conference, or sooner or later. - Anyone out there have a scoop, or is Bellcore sworn to secrecy on this?] [Moderator's Note: Is this the first time an area code in Canada has been split? It is pretty routine here in the States now, but I cannot recall such an instance in Canada before. PAT]
djcl@contact.uucp (woody) (02/09/91)
>[Moderator's Note: Is this the first time an area code in Canada has >been split? It is pretty routine here in the States now, but I cannot >recall such an instance in Canada before. PAT] This would seem to be the first split in Canada to my knowledge, at least of the initial area code plan. However, I did recall sight of an area code map that claimed to have area code 613 cover all of Northern Ontario as well, or it could have been that Northern Ontario was not set up with 705 or 807 at the time. Bell Canada seems to be somewhat tight-lipped about what the new area code is going to be (ie. the one to be formed outside Toronto). However, unless Bellcore has announced that the July, 1995 deadline for starting up the interchangeable area codes is moved up, it would appear that 210 is a good candidate. 905 was just freed up, if the recent post about the final cutoff of 905 area code is any indication, though there might be good reason to assign this at the very last, and to a less populous or politcially significant part of North America than the Toronto area. 706 is too close to the neighbouring NPA 705 to the north. Other N10-type codes from 610-910 are possible, though there might still be some TWX activity to get rid of. Other Canadian area codes to watch for split/NXX prefix activity are 604 British Columbia and especially 403 (Alberta plus Yukon and NWT). 514 Montreal and 613 Ottawa/east Ontario seem to have plenty of room yet for expansion.