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From: davidb@pacer.uucp (David Barts)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Washington State (Really 206) Running Low
Message-ID: <11937@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 9 Sep 90 23:37:19 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 633, Message 6 of 12


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.