Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!mit-eddie!killer!vector!nobody From: wales@CS.UCLA.EDU (Rich Wales) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: 1+ dialing and new AC for SF Bay Area? Message-ID: Date: 9 Feb 89 04:27:42 GMT Sender: chip@vector.UUCP Lines: 51 Approved: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-Submissions-To: telecom@bu-cs.bu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 53, message 5 In article David W. Tamkin writes: Rich Wales's : | My parents (in San Mateo, CA -- a suburb of San Francisco | -- "415" area code) told me that, starting in February, | they will have to start dialing "1" before area codes. (Up | till now, they've just dialed the area code and the seven- | digit number.) | At about the same time, my MCI bill contained a short | announcement of this same thing (why they told me, in Los | Angeles, I have no idea), and it said this was part of a | plan by Pacific Bell to introduce a new area code in the | San Francisco Bay area. The requirement to dial 1 before area codes doesn't necessarily mean that an area code split is imminent. It means that the NNX-style prefixes are running out and that NXX will be the rule for future prefixes . . . . [long explanation about NXX prefixes and 1+ dialing deleted] I should probably have anticipated this response and said in my original posting that I was aware of the fact that the use of NXX prefixes would require 1+ dialing. We've had 1+ dialing in the Los Angeles area, BTW, since at least the mid-70's (when I moved down here) -- and NXX prefixes for the last few years as well. Nevertheless, my MCI bill really did say that there would eventually be a new area code in the San Francisco area. Following is an exact quote of the announcement (in my December 28 MCI bill): STARTING FEBRUARY 4, 1989 -- WHEN YOU ARE IN THE 415 AREA CODE -- YOU WILL NEED TO DIAL "1" FIRST FOR ALL CALLS GOING OUTSIDE THE 415 AREA CODE. THIS CHANGE IS THE FIRST STEP BY PACIFIC BELL TO IMPLEMENT A NEW AREA CODE TO THE BAY AREA. Let me say again that I realize that 1+ dialing is a necessary precursor to the use of NXX prefixes -- and not required at all in order to create a new area code. Maybe the MCI person who composed this bill message didn't know what he/she was talking about -- or thought it'd be hope- lessly confusing to try explaining NXX prefixes to the unwashed masses. But let me ask again: Is anyone on this list aware of any near-term plans to create a new area code out of portions of 415 and/or 408? -- Rich Wales // UCLA Computer Science Department // +1 (213) 825-5683 3531 Boelter Hall // Los Angeles, California 90024-1596 // USA wales@CS.UCLA.EDU ...!(uunet,ucbvax,rutgers)!cs.ucla.edu!wales "The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank."