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From: cambler@polyslo.calpoly.edu (Fubar's Carbonated Hormones)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Last Four Digits of Phone is '0000'
Message-ID: <15549@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 19 Dec 90 14:58:55 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 894, Message 6 of 10


>If you try to get a '0000' assignment, every excuse
>in the book will be trotted out to keep from giving it to you.

Really? I have a relative with a 0000 number... then again, he works
for the phone*company. But he assures me he pays the personalized
number fee and applied for it just like a subscriber.

>It's not just 0000 numbers, they'll make excuses if they don't want to
>assign you just any number you ask for. When I added two additional
>numbers on my residential line for Southern Bell's distinctive calling
>service, I wanted to pick the numbers I added. (Southern Bell's charge
>for doing so: $5 to search for up to three numbers, then $20 if you
>pick one of them).

>Much to my chagrin, however, Southern Bell told me I couldn't have
>this number because it was "reserved for business use". The same was
>true of some of the other numbers I asked for. In fact, the only
>numbers that seemed to be available were in the 7000-8000 range.

When I wanted my current BBS number (805) 54-FUBAR, I called the
number to see if it was available. It was not. I asked the party at
the other end, after explaining that my company is "Fubar Systems", if
they would give up the number, perhaps for a small gift (read: I'll
bribe you with $50 if you let me have your number). No go. So I waited
until it was available.  The first day that it was available, I
*grabbed* it. (Of course, it's off right now because of the inanity of
the phone*entities and their inability to understand that I ordered
call*waiting on the OTHER line (no, not THAT one, the OTHER OTHER line
[we have 4])). But at least I got it. No hassle.

>My question is: how do the LECs decide what range of numbers in each
>prefix to reserve for whom?

I've always been told it's random ... they'll take what they need from
where they have it available ... in Santa Maria, all numbers 97xx and
98xx are pay phones. Trivia.


Christopher(); --- cambler@polyslo.calpoly.edu --- chris@erotica.fubarsys.com