Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!dsinc!telecom-request From: ch@dce.ie (Charles Bryant) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Calling an Out-of-Area 800 Number Message-ID: Date: 15 Mar 91 16:25:06 GMT Sender: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu Organization: Datacode Communications Ltd, Dublin, Ireland Lines: 21 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 205, Message 10 of 11 It's a bit late now for such a major change, but it seems to me that one solution would be to make 1-800 a prefix to a normal number. If you leave off the 1-800 you get through to the same line but the caller is charged. That would also allow callers from outside the US to get through. I assume it is not possible to dial a free number outside of one's own country. BTW Ireland also uses 1-800 to introduce free calls, but this is relatively recent. The previous procedure was to call 10 and ask for `Freefone FooBar'. Note that 10 is just the normal operator number. And while I'm here, I dislike the +353 1 XXXXXX notation for my phone number. It should be possible to put in optional spaces for legibility: +353-1-XXX XXX and they should not be the same as the character separating the area code from the country code and local number to avoid confusion and to allow for two-level area codes or some such thing. Charles Bryant (ch@dce.ie)