KLUB@maristb.bitnet (Richard Budd) (11/30/90)
Kauto Huopio <Kauto.Huopio@lut.fi> writes in TC Digest 851: >I've heard that our PTT has made a request to obtain the former >country code of the former East Germany {Country Code 37} According to an engineer from Chemnitz, country code 37 is still being used by Germany until the area codes of E. German communities are reorganized. The German government hopes to have the new system in place by the beginning of 1991. The reason for this is obvious. Many eastern German communities have the same area codes as cities and towns in the former West Germany, but these communities are not contiguous. And of course there is the problem of two different customers in different cities miles apart having the same telephone number. Germany is going through the same difficulty with postal zip codes. For example, 8000 is the zip code for Muenchen in West Germany and Dresden in East Germany. For the time being, people mailing letters to Germany need to put a "W" in front of the zip code for former West German communities and an "O" <for Ost> for former East German communities. Richard Budd KLUB@MARISTB.BITNET Marist College Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com (Bob Goudreau) (12/05/90)
Kauto Huopio <Kauto.Huopio@lut.fi> writes in a submission which I haven't seen, but which had a follow-up I have seen: > I've heard that our [Finnish] PTT has made a request to obtain the > former country code of the former East Germany [+37] I understand that the three Baltic states have asked the CCITT for their own separate country codes. Given the possibility that new codes will be needed for these countries, and for any other parts of the USSR that break free, wouldn't it make more sense to give them three-digit country codes of the form "37X" once Germany retires 37? And anyway, why should Finland be unhappy with 358? Is it merely envious of the high-falutin' two-digit country codes owned by Norway, Sweden and Denmark? :-) Bob Goudreau +1 919 248 6231 Data General Corporation goudreau@dg-rtp.dg.com 62 Alexander Drive ...!mcnc!rti!xyzzy!goudreau Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA