Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!texsun!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Moderator) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: NPA 903 assigned to NE Texas Message-ID: Date: 12 May 89 05:04:29 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Lines: 33 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 161, message 6 of 10 In issue 160, John Covert writes that area code 903 has been assigned to NE Texas. He then notes that area 708 has been assigned to Chicago, however this is not correct. Chicago will remain in area 312. 708 has been assigned to all parts of northern Illinois which were formerly in 312 and not in 815. He also notes that only two area codes remain unassigned before the supply of 'traditional' area code numbers is exhausted, and area codes begin to take a different format. My question is this: with the numerous three digit codes which are currently not in use which at least resemble, or 'look like' what area codes have always looked like, why are not those numbers being used first, before completely departing from tradition? For example, numbers like 310, 311, 511, 300, 400, 500, 600. While they do not conform exactly (never before two zeros in a row on a regular area code; never two ones in a row; when one is the second digit then the third digit is always two or more, etc...) but they still look enough like area codes that they would be more palatable to people than what I have heard is going to happen, using numbers like '689' or '327' which don't even closely resemble areas. Some time back when I said that the numbers 410,510,610,710,810,910 were unavailable as area codes since they were used by Western Union, I got almost hissed off the stage. If they are *not* out of circulation, then howcome they wouldn't be more suitable as area codes than what I'm told Bellcore is going to pass off on everyone? Patrick