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From: cornutt@freedom.msfc.nasa.gov (David Cornutt)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: 215 Area Code Loses "1" per Newspaper 'Reporter'
Message-ID: <15571@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 21 Dec 90 13:54:30 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 896, Message 2 of 7


This sounds like it's just a variation on the rule, which is becoming
standard in a lot of places, that you must dial 1 + areacode for *all*
long distance calls, and all calls that are not in your areacode
(whether toll or not).  The difference here is that they are allowing
abbreviated dialing within the areacode by just dialing the 7-digit
number; if the equipment sees a number 2-9 as the first digit, it
assumes that the number begins with "1-215".  It was confusing the way
the newspaper article worded it.

BTW, there's a twist to the 1 + areacode rule that I don't recall
seeing discussed here.  If a leading 1 means that "area code follows"
for all numbers, then presumably, in addition to making NNX-style
number available as exchange numbers, it would make NXX-style numbers
available as area codes, provided that the whole NANP area could be
switched over to this style of dialing.  This would seem to solve our
areacode shortage problem for many years.  Does anyone know if this
has been considered?


David Cornutt, New Technology Inc., Huntsville, AL  (205) 461-6457
(cornutt@freedom.msfc.nasa.gov; some insane route applies)
"The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of my employer,
not necessarily mine, and probably not necessary."