Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!hellgate.utah.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!nucsrl!telecom-request
From: dross@fluffy.cs.wisc.edu (Danthe Man with the Plan Ross)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Centrex and 9xxx Numbers
Message-ID: <4231@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 22 Feb 90 08:00:38 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 120, message 2 of 12


In article <4112@accuvax.nwu.edu> djcl@contact.uucp (woody) writes:
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 115, message 8 of 11

>Several years ago, the University of Toronto used a Centrex that took
>up most of the 978 exchange. However, since extensions couldn't start
>with 9 (dial 9 to get local dial tone), there was a gap in the 978
>exchange that was used for automatic mobile phone service (ie.

The University of Texas at Austin uses the entire 471 exchange for
on-campus offices and departments.  The student dorms, however, are on
part of the 495 exchange.  Intracampus calls are made by the last _5_
digits, so there are numbers of the form 471-9XXX.  The dorm
"exchange" includes 495-5XXX and 495-3XXX and possibly more.  The gap
here is more due to not that many student dorm rooms than technical
reasons.

Many departments have internal systems which allow 4- or 3-digit
numbers (which usually, but not always, are the XXXX).  The off-campus
research labs are tucked away in a north Austin exchange.

The campus phone system includes call waiting (which you CAN'T turn
off--solution was to "forward" calls to a nonexistent 5-XXXX number,
say, 5-8XXX, which gave caller a fast busy signal), 3-way calling, and
call forwarding on dorm lines, and more on office lines.

The fun arises when you dial a number 495-XXXX from on campus; unless
you know someone lives in the dorm, you just have to try it:
9-495-XXXX or 5-XXXX.  (There are state and city offices, as well as a
cookie store (!) on 495-XXXX.)  And the wrong one will not work!

However, the "Please check the number and dial again" recording had
been read in a most lengthy and dramatic manner by a woman with a
British accent, so it was quite pleasant to just sit there and listen
to her repeat it over and over.  8-)


Dan Ross					dross@cs.wisc.edu