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From: djcl@contact.uucp (woody)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: 416 Area Code Split Announced
Message-ID: <74351@bu.edu.bu.edu>
Date: 9 Feb 91 02:40:36 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 103, Message 10 of 12


>[Moderator's Note: Is this the first time an area code in Canada has
>been split? It is pretty routine here in the States now, but I cannot
>recall such an instance in Canada before.   PAT]

This would seem to be the first split in Canada to my knowledge, at
least of the initial area code plan. However, I did recall sight of an
area code map that claimed to have area code 613 cover all of Northern
Ontario as well, or it could have been that Northern Ontario was not
set up with 705 or 807 at the time.

Bell Canada seems to be somewhat tight-lipped about what the new area
code is going to be (ie. the one to be formed outside Toronto).
However, unless Bellcore has announced that the July, 1995 deadline for
starting up the interchangeable area codes is moved up, it would
appear that 210 is a good candidate. 905 was just freed up, if the
recent post about the final cutoff of 905 area code is any indication,
though there might be good reason to assign this at the very last, and
to a less populous or politcially significant part of North America
than the Toronto area.  706 is too close to the neighbouring NPA 705
to the north. Other N10-type codes from 610-910 are possible, though
there might still be some TWX activity to get rid of.

Other Canadian area codes to watch for split/NXX prefix activity are
604 British Columbia and especially 403 (Alberta plus Yukon and NWT).
514 Montreal and 613 Ottawa/east Ontario seem to have plenty of room
yet for expansion.