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From: john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Last Four Digits of Phone is '0000'
Message-ID: <15609@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 20 Dec 90 09:26:48 GMT
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Reply-To: John Higdon <john@bovine.ati.com>
Organization: Green Hills and Cows
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 898, Message 8 of 11


Subodh Bapat <mailrus!uflorida!rm1!bapat@uunet.uu.net> writes:

> It's not just 0000 numbers, they'll make excuses if they don't want to
> assign you just any number you ask for.

Ok, here are the legitimate reasons for refusal to assign numbers:

In mechanical offices (through #5 Crossbar), the following may apply:

1. The number falls in a thousands group that simply isn't equipped.
Mechanical switches assign numbers by physical positions on the
equipment. If the equipment doesn't exist, you can't assign a number
on it. For instance, years ago in West Yellowstone there was one SXS
prefix for the whole town. It had two thousands groups installed, 9000
and 4000. If you wanted a number other than 9XXX or 4XXX, it was sorry
Charlie.

2. The number falls in an anticpated hunting growth area of a large
customer. If XYZ Corporation has been adding many lines per year in
its incoming hunt group and the number you want is right in the middle
of where telco expects it to expand, they will withhold the number
from assignment to others. This only applies to mechanical switches
(don't let them trot this out if you are dealing with an ESS).

3. The number falls within a bank of test numbers reserved for telco
use.

For all switches, reasons for denial include the following:

1. The number falls within a DID group, current or anticipated.

2. The number falls within an exchange that is GENERALLY used for DID
or other large-user specialty use.

3. The number is actually reserved by a business for future use (yes,
large customers can get away with this).

4. The number is in an electronic switch and you have ordered service
that can be provided on a mechanical one (and numbers on the
electronic one are in short supply). Tip: If this is the case, ask for
900/976 blocking. This can only be done (in Pac*Bell Land anyway) on
electronic switches and they have to give it to you if requested --
free.

5. The number falls in an exchange that is about to cut to new
equipment and number assignments are frozen.

6. The number, while out of service, may have only recently been
disconnected and the "dead" time has not expired. If you agree to
accept any wrong numbers, this can be negotiated.

The above are the legitimate reasons. Nonsense reasons include:

1. That number is reserved for business. (There is no functional
difference between a business line and a residential line.)

2. That number is reserved by telco. (Telco can "unreserve" any number
it likes.)

3. That number is in a reserved hunt group (in an electronic switch).
(An electronic switch can jump-hunt anywhere it likes.)


        John Higdon         |   P. O. Box 7648   |   +1 408 723 1395
    john@bovine.ati.com     | San Jose, CA 95150 |       M o o !