Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ncar!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!ub!dsinc!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: cmoore@brl.mil (VLD/VMB)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Forts Meade and Ritchie in Maryland
Message-ID: <16673@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 4 Feb 91 19:27:05 GMT
Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu
Organization: TELECOM Digest
Lines: 33
Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 92, Message 2 of 12


With this year's 301/410 split coming in Maryland, I thought I'd
review two prefixes (both at military bases) which seem to have a wide
calling area.  The 800-477-4704 helpline says they both stay in 301,
but note the comments by me (and I don't know what the calling
instructions from these prefixes are):

688 at Fort Meade -- This appears in Baltimore call guide as "Fort
Meade (Waterloo)", and in Washington-area call guides as "Fort Meade
(Berwyn)", apparently because it has both Baltimore and Washington
metro local service.  This prefix was apparently never in the 202 area
(that's moot now, because all Maryland and Virginia points were
removed from 202).  As far as I know (not having been to Fort Meade),
the other phones on that post are in the Odenton exchange, which is
going into 410 (causing a problem as to how to list the area code for
zip code 20755?).

878 at Fort Ritchie -- This appears in Baltimore call guide as
"Fort Ritchie (Baltimore city)", and in Washington-area call
guides with the Silver Spring prefixes.  Also, I found out
back in 1989 that the same prefix is reachable in area 717,
as part of the (neighboring) Blue Ridge Summit (Pa.) exchange.
Fort Ritchie proper is in a part of Maryland which is to stay
in 301, but notice the reference to Baltimore city, which is
going into 410.  878 as a Washington-area prefix was reachable
in area code 202, but should have dropped out of that area as
part of the DC area changes last fall.

(By the way, a useful rule of thumb might be this: If local to
Baltimore, it goes into 410; if local to DC, it stays in 301.  Notice
that 804 in Virginia is too far away to affect the local calling from
the Va. suburbs of DC, but 410 will include some points local to the
Md. suburbs of DC.)