GREEN@wharton.upenn.edu (Scott D. Green) (09/25/90)
The {Philadelphia Daily News} reports on Sept. 18 (and Bell of PA's
Newsline confirms today) that 1+ will be prohibited within 215 after
May 20, 1991. You all know the rest of the story - running out of
prefixes, needing to use prefixes that look like area codes,
forestalling the introduction of a new area code. And, of course,
after 5/20/91 we won't know if we're making a toll call within 215 or
not.
The Consumer Advocate's Office has no plans to fight the switch, since
it's been in effect in 412 (Pittsburgh area) for more than a year, and
the state PUC hasn't gotten any complaints said a PUC spokesman.
Just to review, local calls are and will remain 7 digits. Toll calls
within 215 are 1+7 digits. They will be 7 digits. Outside 215, 1+10
digits now and later. Operator calls within 215 are 0+7 digits. They
will be 0+10 digits. DA is now 1+555-1212. After 5/20/91, 555-1212.
The optional period (where you may use the new or the old dialling
schemes) will be 1/1/91 through 5/20/91.cmoore@brl.mil (VLD/VMB) (09/28/90)
Local calls WITHIN 215 are and will remain seven digits. Local calls from 215 to outside of 215 are 1+NPA+7D and will stay that way. (Someone -- was it JSol? -- sent me a note about trying a local call from Pa. to Del. leaving off the 1+ and just using 302+7D in, this case, the 215-255 exchange at Kemblesville, Chester County; won't this have to be "cleaned up"? and the 1+ required?) Didn't you see my message about the local service from Lehighton (215-377) to Jim Thorpe (717-325)? That's 1+717-325-xxxx. Years ago, I noticed no 1+ in the calling instructions for Pittsburgh (i.e. all calls within 412 were 7D, with NPA+7D for calls outside of 412, with Pittsburgh being too far from NPA line to have local service to another NPA). Is 412 now short of empty prefixes?
dattier@ddsw1.mcs.com (David Tamkin) (09/30/90)
Carl Moore wrote in volume 10, issue 691: | Local calls WITHIN 215 are and will remain seven digits. Local calls | from 215 to outside of 215 are 1+NPA+7D and will stay that way. | (Someone -- was it JSol? -- sent me a note about trying a local call | from Pa. to Del. leaving off the 1+ and just using 302+7D in, this | case, the 215-255 exchange at Kemblesville, Chester County; won't this | have to be "cleaned up"? and the 1+ required?) As long as 3-0-2 is never used as a prefix anywhere in area code 215, it can work. Generally it's a bad idea to open a prefix that matches a neighboring area code, since it gets confusing when people tell you their telephone numbers orally (or advertise them on radio); when one listens to a telephone number and it begins with the local area code or one nearby, one shouldn't wonder whether there are seven or four more digits to come. David Tamkin Box 7002 Des Plaines IL 60018-7002 708 518 6769 312 693 0591 MCI Mail: 426-1818 GEnie: D.W.TAMKIN CIS: 73720,1570 dattier@ddsw1.mcs.com