Mark Brader <msb@sq.com> (09/23/90)
I received a response from Australia to my recent posting relating to Bell Canada's new restriction on 976-numbers: > Could you please tell me what a 976 number is, and what do you have > against them? Perhaps you could post the answer to the digest for > the benefit of other non-N.American readers. Okay, for the benefit of non-North-American readers: 976-numbers are operated by businesses that you do business with simply by calling their phone number. When you connect to a 976 number, a fee (payable to the business operating the number) is automatically charged on your phone bill. This is in addition to any regular phone company charges for reaching the number. 976-numbers look like ordinary (7-digit) phone numbers that just happen to begin with the three digits 976: for example, 976-1234. The reason for the use of those particular numbers, like other "why that number?" questions in North America, seems to go back to the days when phone numbers began with letters, using the equivalence 2=ABC 3=DEF 4=GHI 5=JKL 6=MNO 7=PRS 8=TUV 9=WXY. Not a lot of words start with the letter combinations for 97, so those numbers were generally available. (I don't know if there were ever, say, WRight numbers, or if 97 was always reserved. Anyone know? I might ask the same question about 55, which is similarly reserved for special purposes. In movies and TV shows, 555-numbers are often used so as to not coincide with any real numbers, and the scriptwriters noted long ago that KLondike was 55; were there ever any real KLondikes?) Now, in some parts of North America, there is a clear distinction between local calls (which are free or cheap) and long-distance calls (which cost more), and this distinction does not follow area code boundaries. In some areas they are dialed in different ways so that you can't incur a long-distance charge by accident. (This distinction in dialing is doomed over the coming years, for reasons related to the exhaustion of available numbers.) In the Bell Canada service area (i.e. most of Ontario and Quebec plus some of the Northwest Terrritories), there is such a distinction in dialing, and calls to 976-numbers are always dialed as long distance. This remains true even though actual long-distance calls to 976-numbers are now to be blocked. There is a second flavor of number that works the same way; these are 900-numbers. They are dialable from a wider area than 976-numbers, and in this case the 900 replaces the area code, e.g., 900-333-1234. The world, or at least North America, got by just fine until a few years ago without these numbers; their creation seems to have merely opened up a new niche for sleazy businesses, in particular, the sort who want to trick people into paying their charges. (All you have to do is make a phone call, right?) The advertisements that I see around here for them tend to be pathetic come-ons for dating and "talk" services. Another thing I've heard of them being used for, although not locally, is information-by-telephone services that formerly were free. It is for these reasons that I find myself feeling that we would be better off without these numbers at all. I understand that several other countries have the same concept, for example, Britain's 0898-numbers are similar to our 900's, but I've never heard of a simple name for it. Is there one? Do other countries have two flavors like our 976 (local) and 900 (callable from wide area)? Mark Brader, SoftQuad Inc., Toronto, utzoo!sq!msb, msb@sq.com
david@uunet.uu.net (David E A Wilson) (09/25/90)
msb@sq.com (Mark Brader) writes: >I understand that several other countries have the same concept, for >example, Britain's 0898-numbers are similar to our 900's, but I've >never heard of a simple name for it. Is there one? Do other >countries have two flavors like our 976 (local) and 900 (callable from >wide area)? Here in Australia we have three flavours which all go under the name "0055 - Information on the Double" or "Recorded Information Services". The three types are: Cost per minute Day Night Economy Metrowide (capital cities only) 0055 x9xxx 33c 22c 13c Statewide (intrastate only) 0055 x5xxx 39c 26c 15c Austwide 0055 xyxxx 57c 38c 23c y = 0-4,8 Provided you are on a modern exchange, 0055 calls will be a separate item on your bill. In addition, Dial-it Services (usually numbers of the form 11xxx) are charged at normal local call rates or STD rates if you dial another area code to get them. David Wilson Dept Comp Sci, Uni of Wollongong david@cs.uow.edu.au
johns@scroff.uk.sun.com (John Slater) (09/26/90)
In article <12510@accuvax.nwu.edu>, msb@sq.com (Mark Brader) writes: |> I understand that several other countries have the same concept, for |> example, Britain's 0898-numbers are similar to our 900's, but I've |> never heard of a simple name for it. Is there one? Yes. BT now call these "Callstream" services. I think this name is relatively new. I presume their marketing people decided it would be a good idea to have a name to sell. Everyone else calls them "0898 numbers". Can't think why. :-) BTW, they carry a fixed charge of 44p/minute peak, 33p off-peak, unlike 900 numbers where the charge is variable (to say the least). John Slater Sun Microsystems UK, Gatwick Office