cmoore@brl.mil (VLD/VMB) (05/12/89)
[Moderator's Note: This is a consolidation of four short messages on
related topics sent by Mr. Moore today. PT]
706 and 905 are used for parts of Mexico, right? Also, I believe
708 will pick up Chicago SUBURBS; the city exchange stays in 312.
Will that new area 903 in NE Texas get any N0X/N1X prefixes?
It's just my guess that it will not; the only N0X/N1X I know of
in the present 214 area is in Dallas and nearby. As is the
case in the Washington area suburbs, when you assign prefixes
in Dallas and suburbs you have to consider your area code and
a big chunk of a neighboring area code as well.
With 708,903,908 being assigned in the next 2 or 3 years, and 909,917
unused (I have no comment here regarding N00, N10, N11), you wonder
about the poor souls who will end up in the first NNX area code.
There have been some problems noted reaching new prefixes (not
limited to N0X/N1X) and new area codes.
It's also been noted that 415 area (includes San Francisco) may split
later (no code announced yet, right?); that area recently prepared for
N0X/N1X prefixes.
Up to this point, all of the N0X/N1X I know of in Maryland and in 703 (Va.)
has been in the DC calling area, which ran short of NNX. Last night, I got
my hands on a Baltimore call guide of Nov. 1988, and discovered 2 such pre-
fixes outside the DC calling area:
915 Baltimore city (915 in DC was for some recorded messages; don't know
about this one)
303 Columbia (local call for Silver Spring, which is also local to DC &
suburbs; also a local call for Baltimore city)
Perhaps you'd want to set up an archive file explaining such codes
(why they are not used as regular area codes--yes, I know about
411,611,911,800,700,900). Hasn't that question been asked before?
[Moderator's Note: Why 411-611-911 are not used as area codes is pretty
obvious, since they equal Information, Repair Bureau, and Emergency in
that order. But why can't numbers like 210-310-311-511 be used? Or numbers
like 410-510-710? They at least resemble area codes and would not be so
confusing to a phone user. PT]dave@rutgers.edu (Dave Levenson) (05/14/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0162m03@vector.dallas.tx.us>, cmoore@brl.mil (VLD/VMB) writes: > ...But why can't numbers like 210-310-311-511 be used? [as area codes] In NJ Bell territory, 311 produces a ring-no-answer. I've been told that it produces automatic number identification in a few central offices, but I haven't heard which (anyone else in NJ know of any?). I think most of the N10 codes are/were assigned to TWX, weren't they? My copy of "Notes on the Intra-Lata Networks" (1984, Bellcore) lists codes 211, 311, 511, and 711 as RESERVED. This publication extimates that by 1995, we will need Interchangeable NPA codes. This refers to area codes of the NNX format, just like CO codes. Before that time, ALL local switching systems must have been modified to require 1+ dialing. If anything, recent events indicate that the 1995 estimate may be off. I wonder how much difficulty would be caused if the USA and Canada were to be assigned different country codes? This would allow re-assignment in the USA of area codes presently assigned in Canada (and vice versa) and might push that 1995 date back a few years. -- Dave Levenson {uunet | rutgers | att}!westmark!dave ...the man in the mooney [Moderator's Note: You may recall that numerical list of area codes published several months ago in the Digest. In that list, *I* said that the N10 codes were all assigned to Western Union (formerly AT&T) TWX. The response from a couple people was that I was grossly in error....that those numbers were just 'artifacts' with no relevance to the voice network. If that's so, then why won't they be used for area codes, now that we need a few spares? PT]
halliday@cc.ubc.ca (laura halliday) (05/15/89)
Dave Levenson writes: > I wonder how much difficulty would be caused if the USA and Canada > were to be assigned different country codes? This would allow > re-assignment in the USA of area codes presently assigned in Canada > (and vice versa) and might push that 1995 date back a few years. Probably quite a bit...not only would you only liberate a handful of area codes in the process, you would disrupt important lines of communication. We Canadians tend to phone the U.S. more than we phone other provinces - lines of communication are north-south rather than east-west. ...laura University of B.C., Vancouver, B.C., Canada
wheels@watmath.waterloo.edu (Gerry Wheeler) (05/16/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0162m03@vector.dallas.tx.us>, cmoore@brl.mil (VLD/VMB) writes: > [Moderator's Note: ... > ... But why can't numbers like 210-310-311-511 be used? Or numbers > like 410-510-710? They at least resemble area codes and would not be so > confusing to a phone user. PT] There have been several messages of late commenting on suitable area codes, and I think this is the second time the moderator has made this point. As a non-insider, I would estimate that 99% of telephone users have no preconceived notion of what an area code looks like. It is simply three digits. Heck, I didn't know there were restrictions on area code numbering until I started reading this group, and I used to work for the phone company! There were also previous messages about whether this area code or that should be assigned right next to some other area code that was similar. I don't think there is any difficulty with that from a user point of view. (I can't say whether there are technical reasons for avoiding it.) After all, one seldom knows what area codes adjoin the desired one, and if you misdial you get some wrong party -- it hardly matters if they are 100 or 10000 miles away from the party you intended to dial. Is there some inside reason why these points are important? I don't see them affecting how the ordinary user sees the phone system. -- Gerry Wheeler Phone: (519)884-2251 Mortice Kern Systems Inc. UUCP: uunet!watmath!mks!wheels 35 King St. North BIX: join mks Waterloo, Ontario N2J 2W9 CompuServe: 73260,1043
cowan@marob.masa.com (John Cowan) (05/16/89)
>[Moderator's Note: Why 411-611-911 are not used as area codes is pretty >obvious, since they equal Information, Repair Bureau, and Emergency in >that order. But why can't numbers like 210-310-311-511 be used? Or numbers >like 410-510-710? They at least resemble area codes and would not be so >confusing to a phone user. PT] Historically, the N10 codes were used by TWX (otherwise Telex II); whether this is still true, I don't know. AT&T set up TWX to compete with Telex, and used a hitherto-empty part of its name space to avoid interference. Later, AT&T had to sell off TWX, but the N10 codes are still treated as sacred. The last time I checked into the matter, which was maybe 15 years ago, my local telco (New Jersey Bell) treated some N10 codes as "invalid exchange" and others as "invalid area code", kind of randomly. [Moderator's Note: But some readers have maintained, very vigorously, that since Western Union central offices are in no way connected with or wired through Bell central offices, their use of those numbers have no longer any bearing on area codes. I put those codes (410-510-610-710-810-910) in the master list of numerical area codes message run several months ago, and finally took them out. What is the definitive answer on this? Will someone from Bellcore or some other authoritative source please reply? PT]
deej@bellcore.bellcore.com (David Lewis) (05/26/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0167m05@vector.dallas.tx.us>, cowan@marob.masa.com (John Cowan) writes: > >[Moderator's Note: Why 411-611-911 are not used as area codes is pretty > >obvious, since they equal Information, Repair Bureau, and Emergency in > >that order. But why can't numbers like 210-310-311-511 be used? Or numbers > >like 410-510-710? They at least resemble area codes and would not be so > >confusing to a phone user. PT] > Historically, the N10 codes were used by TWX (otherwise Telex II); whether > this is still true, I don't know. AT&T set up TWX to compete with Telex, > and used a hitherto-empty part of its name space to avoid interference. > Later, AT&T had to sell off TWX, but the N10 codes are still treated as > sacred. The last time I checked into the matter, which was maybe 15 years > ago, my local telco (New Jersey Bell) treated some N10 codes as "invalid > exchange" and others as "invalid area code", kind of randomly. > [Moderator's Note: But some readers have maintained, very vigorously, that > since Western Union central offices are in no way connected with or wired > through Bell central offices, their use of those numbers have no longer > any bearing on area codes. I put those codes (410-510-610-710-810-910) in > the master list of numerical area codes message run several months > ago, and finally took them out. What is the definitive answer on this? Will > someone from Bellcore or some other authoritative source please reply? PT] According to "Notes on the BOC Intra-LATA Networks -- 1986", Bellcore TR-NPL-000275... 700, 800, 900, and 610 are SACs, or Service Access Codes, which are currently assigned. 610, as stated elsewhere, is assigned in Canada for TWX service and is not used in the BOCs; but, as numbering assignments are according to the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), not the US Numbering Plan, 610 is unavailable in the US. The other N00 codes (200-600) have been reserved for use as SACs and will not be assigned as NPAs. N11 codes are reserved for special functions. N10 codes (aha, he finally gets to it) are among the remaining legally assignable NPA codes. As of the publication of Notes, 19 codes of the N0/1X format were unassigned. These included the 5 reserved for SACs, leaving the 7 available N10 codes plus 7 N0/1N codes. I believe the N10 codes will be the last to be assigned as NPAs. Disclaimer: This is taken from the reference; I don't work in Numbering Plan Administration. As far as I know, though, the TR represents the most recent policy (although some NPAs have been assigned since then). -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= David G Lewis "If this is paradise, I wish I had a lawnmower." Bellcore 201-758-4099 Navesink Research and Engineering Center ...!bellcore!nvuxr!deej [Moderator's Note: Thank you for providing this information. I consider it an authoritative answer. Therefore, to those who have said otherwise, we are NOT 'running out of area codes' (we still have 7+2=9 left of the more or less conventional form). And I may be wrong, but I'll bet they hold 909 open until after the other 8 have been assigned, and Telenet will continue using it for switching calls in their network. PT]