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From: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Moderator)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: 215 Area Code Loses "1" per Newspaper 'Reporter'
Message-ID: <15543@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 21 Dec 90 06:03:59 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 893, Message 8 of 8


Listen, all you people are doing it exactly the *opposite* of what
happened here in Chicago ...

For all the years I can remember we did not have to dial '1' before
anything we did. Our prefixes were always of the form:

               (2 through 9)  (2 through 9)  (1 through 9)

Area codes were the same everywhere:

               (2 through 9)  (0 or 1)       (2 through 9)


Special codes were 211 - long distance operator
                   411 - directory service
                   611 - repair service
                   811 - long distance from PBX's, hotels, etc.
                   911 - Chicago Emergency Services

There was no conflict since a second digit of zero or one was always a
long distance call or a special code. A second and third digit of one
was always a special code. A second and third digit of zero was always
for services like 700, 800 and 900 calls.

Then they decided they wanted an extra 130 or so prefixes so they
said we would ADD the digit 1 at the start of a call when calling long
distance -- not just any old call within 312 regardless of what it
cost -- but only outside of 312. 

Immmediatly after starting 'you must dial one plus the area code' we
began seeing odd prefixes like 606 and 415 (which serves my cell
phone). 

We must dial 1-708 or 1-312 when crossing the line from city to
suburbs although it may in fact remain a local toll-free call if that
is what it was before the split.

I guess since the reporter was writing mainly for the Philadelphia
readers her story sort of makes sense. 

But generally you ADD 1 -- not delete it -- in order to gain more
prefixes, since by using 1 in front of an area code you are able to
recycle area codes into local area prefixes without having to time out
the dialing after the last digit is entered. 

I still think she should have done a better job on that story, and
explained what was going on. 


Patrick Townson