albert@quiche.cs.mcgill.ca (01/12/90)
I have just returned from Hong Kong and have withnessed this historic
event in telecommunication history in Hong Kong.
As of Dec 30, 1989 00:01a.m. ("Easy Dialing Day"), no "regional code"
will be needed in HK's phone numbers. Most phone numbers now have
seven digits (with the exception of "999" the emergency number, etc).
From then on, the "regional code" (a 3 for Kowloon, 5 for Hongkong
Island or 0 for New Territories) will be stripped off from phone
numbers with 7 digits.
For those numbers with 6 digits, the "regional code" will become part of
the telephone number.
Example:
3-376756 will become 337-6756 (a 6 digit phone # in Kowloon)
5-8172780 will become 817-2780 (a 7 digit phone # HK island)
The new way of writing phone #s is to divide the # into 2 groups: a
group of 3 digits and a group of 4 digits. From news media, I learned
that there will be a transition period during which you can still use
the old # but you will hear a recording telling you about the change.
Over two million numbers were changed overnight. All these changes
were for the preparation of a all digital system by year 1995.
From my observation, the general reaction of the public was
favourable. Due to massive advertisement (since June 1989) in TV,
radio, Newspaper etc, It is almost impossible to overlook the changes.
<Albert PANG> albert@calvin.cs.mcgill.ca
McGill University, Montreal, Canada.