Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!netsys!vector!telecom-gateway From: gast@cs.ucla.edu (David Gast) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Tokyo goes to 8 digits Message-ID: Date: 10 Jul 89 06:13:25 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Lines: 69 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 229, message 2 of 7 > From: Kenneth_R_Jongsma@hub.eecs.nwu.edu > Subject: Tokyo Goes to 8 Digits > Tokyo to Add 8th Digit to Phone Numbers > Nippon Telephone and Telegraph Corp. said Tuesday the change from seven >digit phone numbers in Tokyo will take place January 1, 1991. Subscribers >will add a 3 at the beginning of their seven digit numbers. >What am I missing here? What's wrong with a "downtown" city code and a >"suburb" city code? If a country doesn't need a full up 3 digit area code, I did not see the article in the paper, but I have double checked with a friend in Tokyo via e-mail before sending this mail. First off, it should be noted that area codes in Japan like many other countries vary with where you are calling. Thus, the *area code* for Tokyo is currently 03, but the area code for Mitaka just to the west of Tokyo is 0422. I am sure that some cities have two digit area codes, but I cannot name them with certainty off the top of my head. [ BTW, the leading zero is not a typo; in Japan a single leading zero indicates a long distance number; a separate number is dialed to get an operator.] As another poster pointed out, the 03 area code is only used for "central Tokyo", not the entire metropolitan area. Thus, there are many area codes in the suburban area. I don't know how many area codes are within a 60 minute or 90 minute commute from central Tokyo although many if not all of the numbers are only 6 digit numbers. I would guess there are possibly up to 100 area codes surrounding Tokyo. (Some of these are however, presumably currently unsigned). My source indicates that the 03 area code will be broken into smaller area codes, Tokyo will not go to eight digit numbers. If you think about it, however, the difference can be merely semantic. Thus, it seems that all current Tokyo area codes will change from 03 to 033. Whether the relatively small geographic area of Tokyo will be subdivided or not is in may respects irrelevant. It may be different from U.S practice, but that does not make it bad or good; the answer to that implicit question depends on how the change is implemented. [For example, I live in area code 213 in the city of Los Angeles; if you were to call information (at least from LA) and ask for David Gast in LA, you would be told that I do not exist because the teleco thinks I live in *West* Los Angeles even though the PO says I live in Los Angeles, CA 90025. That is, if directory assistance can handle all Tokyo numbers (03x), not subdividing a small geographical area might be preferable to the LA situation where GTE/PacBell cannot even handle one area code properly. I do not, however, know what will happen to the central Tokyo area code except that it will become 2 digits instead of one. (Even though I live in LA, I do not propose to know the exact demarcation line between 213 and 818 in LA).] BTW, if you think about it, merely adding a 3 to the beginning of all numbers does not add any numbers to those possible to dial. David Gast gast@cs.ucla.edu {uunet,ucbvax,rutgers}!{ucla-cs,cs.ucla.edu}!gast P.S. Nippon tends to be a rather conservative and militaristic reading for the characters which can also be read *Nihon*. As I recall, the official name of this telephone company is NTT. If you suspected that the two T correspond to English words and not Japanese words, you are correct. The Japanese names for the two T's are Denwa Denshin (Telephone Telegraph). [Moderator's Note: An example of the complete opposite of the 213/818 situation described by Mr. Gast is in metropolitan Kansas City, MO/KS. An inquiry can be directed to either 816-555-1212 or 913-555-1212 with equal results. Call either one; get information on either side of the river. PT]