cmoore@brl.mil (VLD/VMB) (06/10/89)
When I was recently in Minnesota, someone from Canada told me that Canada has daylight time just like U.S., and changed it along with U.S.'s change to first (not last) Sunday in April. (This isn't directly phone-related, but it backs up the idea that Canada should NOT get a separate country code.)
wnp@killer.dallas.tx.us (Wolf Paul) (06/13/89)
In TELECOM-Digest Vol.9, No.193, cmoore@brl.mil (VLD/VMB) writes: >When I was recently in Minnesota, someone from Canada told me that >Canada has daylight time just like U.S., and changed it along with >U.S.'s change to first (not last) Sunday in April. >(This isn't directly phone-related, but it backs up the idea that >Canada should NOT get a separate country code.) Excuse me, but time zones and daylight savings time have very little to do with country codes. I can see two reasons for separate country codes, one more valid than the other: (a) from certain nationalistic perspectives it rankles that Canada is the only major country which does not have its own country code and has to coordinate its internal telecommunications affairs with entities in the U.S. (I don't hold that view, but then I am neither Canadian nor very nationalistically inclined); and (b) Giving Canada a separate country code frees up a few area codes for use in the U.S., and **lots of area codes** for use in Canada (this one I consider the more valid reason). But time zones and DST are irrelevant -- in Western Europe, most countries are in the same time zone but have different country codes, even though most of them also switch to and from DST on the same dates. -- Wolf N. Paul * 3387 Sam Rayburn Run * Carrollton TX 75007 * (214) 306-9101 UUCP: {texbell, killer, dalsqnt}!dcs!wnp DOMAIN: wnp@killer.dallas.tx.us or wnp%dcs@texbell.swbt.com
JIM@iss.nus.ac.sg (Mr. James Crooks) (06/22/89)
in TELECOM DIGEST V9 #197 Wolf Paul <wnp@killer.dallas.tx.us> writes >I can see two reasons for separate country codes, one more valid than >the other: >(a) from certain nationalistic perspectives it rankles that Canada > is the only major country which does not have its own country code > and has to coordinate its internal telecommunications affairs with > entities in the U.S. (I don't hold that view, but then I am neither > Canadian nor very nationalistically inclined); and Major, yes. But don't forget the Carribean where they also use plain- jane area codes too. Most of the transborder LD calling in Canada is to the USA - and I'm sure that Canadian calls rank high in US billings too. I personnaly hate calling with a country code - too many digits and a greater chance of error. >(b) Giving Canada a separate country code frees up a few area codes for > use in the U.S., and **lots of area codes** for use in Canada > (this one I consider the more valid reason). You may get 10 or 12 area codes, but the bill to recode all the billing and reporting software (network, billing and reporting) in the relevant Canadian telcos would be in the 100's of millions of $$$ + all the risks of a major network cutover. Now if the US telco's would be willing to fund the project (they would be gaining a few area codes), I'm sure it could be done in 10 years or so. It would certainly help Canada's balance of payments. ISDN numbering is causing problems to and maybe the whole thing can be resolved when a major portion of current users switch over to it (if and when, I should add). James W. Crooks Member, Advanced Technology Application Staff BITNET: JIM@ISS.NUS.AC.SG BIX: jw.crooks DASnet: cDW1JW|JCROOKS Compuserve: 72611,162 Institute of Systems Science, National University of Singapore Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Kent Ridge, Singapore 0511
telecom-gateway@vector.UUCP (07/22/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0197m07@vector.dallas.tx.us>, wnp@killer.dallas.tx.us (Wolf Paul) writes: ... > (a) from certain nationalistic perspectives it rankles that Canada > is the only major country which does not have its own country code ... No, Canada is not the only major country which does not have its own country code! The USA does not have its own country-code, either, as it must share with Canada! But Paul's other point is well taken. If two country codes were used for these two telephone-intensive countries, it would provide some near-term relief from the rapidly-approaching exhaustion of available area codes. -- Dave Levenson Voice: (201) 647 0900 Westmark, Inc. Internet: dave@westmark.uu.net Warren, NJ, USA UUCP: {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave [The Man in the Mooney] AT&T Mail: !westmark!dave
telecom-gateway@vector.UUCP (07/22/89)
From article <telecom-v09i0197m07@vector.dallas.tx.us>, by wnp@killer.dallas. tx.us (Wolf Paul): > (a) from certain nationalistic perspectives it rankles that Canada > is the only major country which does not have its own country code neither do the U.S.A. have one. That depends on the point of view. Tom Hofmann wtho@cgch.UUCP
ilya@polya.stanford.edu (Ilya Goldberg) (08/29/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0201m06@vector.dallas.tx.us> telecom-gateway@vector. UUCP writes: >In article <telecom-v09i0197m07@vector.dallas.tx.us>, wnp@killer.dallas.tx.us >(Wolf Paul) writes: > ... >> (a) from certain nationalistic perspectives it rankles that Canada >> is the only major country which does not have its own country code >No, Canada is not the only major country which does not have its own >country code! The USA does not have its own country-code, either, as it must share with Canada! >But Paul's other point is well taken. If two country codes were >used for these two telephone-intensive countries, it would provide >some near-term relief from the rapidly-approaching exhaustion of >available area codes. Actually, no, unless you want to go to 12-digit international numbering. The reason is that there is only one single digit code (namely '1') and this would go to the US. But then no other country can get a two-digit code which starts with a '1' (there is a rule that says country codes must be distinct in this way). Therefore, if Canada and US had country codes, they would have to be two-digit codes, both starting with a '1'. Well, with 11-digit international numbers, that would leave only 9 digits for the national number, which is not enough. The long term plan has always been to go to NXX style area codes. The biggest problem with that is parsing a phone number to distinguish a 7-digit local call from a 10-digit long-distance call. Since many places already have N0/1X exchanges and 1+ dialing, implementing NXX area codes should not be as big a problem now. -Ilya ilya@polya.stanford.edu
wtho@uunet.uu.net (Tom Hofmann) (08/30/89)
From article <telecom-v09i0330m08@vector.dallas.tx.us>, by ilya@polya. stanford.edu (Ilya Goldberg): > Actually, no, unless you want to go to 12-digit international numbering. > The reason is that there is only one single digit code (namely '1') > and this would go to the US. But then no other country can get a > two-digit code which starts with a '1' (there is a rule that says > country codes must be distinct in this way). Therefore, if Canada and US > had country codes, they would have to be two-digit codes, both starting > with a '1'. Well, with 11-digit international numbers, that > would leave only 9 digits for the national number, which is not enough. Does that mean there is a limit of digits for international numbers? I know 8-digit numbers in West Germany within a 3-digit area code (the leading 0 not included). Adding the country code (2 digits) yields to a 13-digit international number. Is such a number not dialable from abroad? Tom Hofmann wtho@cgch.UUCP
cowan@marob.masa.com (John Cowan) (08/30/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0330m08@vector.dallas.tx.us>, Ilya Goldberg <ilya@ polya.stanford.edu> writes: >In article <telecom-v09i0201m06@vector.dallas.tx.us>, telecom-gateway@vector. UUCP writes: >>...If two country codes were >>used for these two telephone-intensive countries, it would provide >>some near-term relief from the rapidly-approaching exhaustion of >>available area codes. >Actually, no, unless you want to go to 12-digit international numbering. >The reason is that there is only one single digit code (namely '1') >and this would go to the US. But then no other country can get a >two-digit code which starts with a '1' (there is a rule that says >country codes must be distinct in this way). Therefore, if Canada and US >had country codes, they would have to be two-digit codes, both starting >with a '1'. Well, with 11-digit international numbers, that >would leave only 9 digits for the national number, which is not enough. a) I believe that the USSR is assigned country code 7, so there is another dialing system with a 1-digit country code. b) The above implies that 11 digits is a hard limit for all phone numbers anywhere in the world. Is this true? I had thought that after the country code was recognized by the local system, any number of digits could be passed, and the local system either has to hear end-of-number (the # key) or else just wait until the caller seems to have stopped dialing. Not so? Does anyone have hard information on this? (Bellcore?) Internet/Smail: cowan@marob.masa.com Dumb: uunet!hombre!marob!cowan Fidonet: JOHN COWAN of 1:107/711 Magpie: JOHN COWAN, (212) 420-0527 Charles li reis, nostre emperesdre magnes Set anz toz pleins at estet in Espagne.