Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: levin@bbn.com (Joel B. Levin)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Special Numbers (Information, etc.)
Message-ID: <2345@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 21 Dec 89 14:13:51 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 9, Issue 586, message 8 of 9

There seems to be two sets of numbers which have been in use, possibly
according to which side of the Mississippi or the Rockies one was on. 
I'll call these "West" and "East", as that's where I've seen them in use.

                    West        East
Long Distance        110         211  (gone with the advent of
Information(*)       113         411           direct dialling)
Repair Service       114         611

Now, at least in some of New England Telephone areas I frequent, 411
and 611 are no longer in use.  For Information within the New
Hampshire area code (603), one dials 1-555-1212 whether or not the
number is in your local calling area. Repair service is 1-555-1611
(residence and coin) or 1-555-1515 (business) in NH and eastern Mass.
(617).  [Exceptions: some single town independent phone companies.]
Other 555 numbers are given for certain telco business related
functions.

Aside: the business office is reached via a number which requires a 1
prefix to dial, though no charges are ever recorded to that number.
When I call it while the office is busy, the recording which greets
the caller begins with a message to long distance operators that
collect calls are always accepted.

	/JBL

(*) Directory Assistance?  What's that?

bbn@levin.com  |  "There were sweetheart roses on Yancey Wilmerding's
 ...!bbn!levin  |  bureau that morning.  Wide-eyed and distraught, she
(617)873-3463  |  stood with all her faculties rooted to the floor."

[Moderator's Note: I don't think there were any geographical boundaries
involved here. I think the 110/113/114 style was largely used by the
independent telcos and GTE; with Mom and her daughters tending to use
the 211/411/611 arrangment instead.   PT]