davidb@pacer.uucp (David Barts) (09/10/90)
merlyn@iwarp.intel.com (Randal Schwartz) writes: > .... Now, in the unfriendly system that it's > about to become (hopefully not for a while), I have to look up that > silly chart that tells if 635 is a local call to 643 (my home prefix), > and if not, *keep* the friggin' call short. Right now, I just dial > away, and let the phone company figure it out.... I was going to refrain from commenting on this, but since nobody else has brought this up, I will: As I understand it, all that has been mentioned is that NPA 206 is running low on NNX's (the NNX count posted last June was 542 so there's only 98 left) and US West has therefore decided to implement a dialing change within a few years that will allow NXX exchange codes. I did not hear anything about just what dialing change they were going to implement. The two most likely choices will be seven-digit dialing for all LD calls within 206, OR to require LD calls within 206 to be dialed as 1-206-NXX-XXXX. As I recall from discussions in this Digest last spring, the latter alternative is the preferred choice. So Randal shouldn't worry. (He also shouldn't worry because he lives in Oregon and NPA 503 won't be affected by this change!) I haven't heard any confirmation of this from alternate sources, but if this story is indeed true (and it seems likely) then those of us who live in NPA 206 should write to US West and the Washington PUC to encourage 1+206 LD dialing be adopted in favor of seven-digit.
cmoore@brl.mil (VLD/VMB) (09/10/90)
David Barts <davidb@pacer.uucp> writes: >if this story is indeed true (and it seems likely) then those of us >who live in NPA 206 should write to US West and the Washington PUC to >encourage 1+206 LD dialing be adopted in favor of seven-digit. Try "instead of", not "in favor of". Where did it say that 1-NPA-xxx-xxxx was preferred to xxx-xxxx for toll calls within NPA? (You may write me directly if it's too repetitious for the Digest.)
tad@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Tad Cook) (09/11/90)
Regarding the possible split of the 206 area code, it must be coming, because we will run short on prefixes in a few years. I get those notices from Bellcore about the changes in dialing and the area code splits, and I did some estimates awhile back when someone posted the prefix per NPA counts this year and last. I did a crude projection, and we should be in the same area in a few years where 415 is now and 312 was a couple of years ago. I called one of the gentlemen listed on the Bellcore letter, and he was a great source of inside info on area code splits. He confirmed that 206 would need to split in a few years, but of course there were many other NPAs ahead of us. What I am wondering, is how they heck they would split 206? The big concentration of population in western Washington is right around Seattle, with the major growth to the east, north and south. It seems like no matter where they draw the line, it would be painful. I suspect that they will end up drawing a circle around Seattle, and leaving this as 206, and make the rest of western Washington some new code. They could draw an east/west line between Seattle and Tacoma, but the bulk of the population and growth would then be on one side. None of the current LATA lines make sense as NPA boundaries. Anyone else familiar with 206 have any thoughts? Tad Cook Seattle, WA Packet: KT7H @ N7HFZ.WA.USA.NA Phone: 206/527-4089 MCI Mail: 3288544 Telex: 6503288544 MCI UW USENET:...uw-beaver!sumax!amc-gw!ssc!tad or, tad@ssc.UUCP