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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxj!houxm!ho95b!ran
From: ran@ho95b.UUCP (RANeinast)
Newsgroups: net.news
Subject: Re: Re: Phone Numbers
Message-ID: <285@ho95b.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 28-Dec-84 09:21:04 EST
Article-I.D.: ho95b.285
Posted: Fri Dec 28 09:21:04 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 29-Dec-84 03:01:28 EST
Organization: AT&T-Bell Labs, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 69




>>> This is a mild flame! I was just looking at the contents of the USENET
>>> map data files and the thought struck me - "Wouldnt it be nice if everyone
>>> in the US admitted the existence of the rest of the world and specified
>>> their phone numbers CORRECTLY, preceded with a +1, instead of the
>>> (parochial) area code in brackets." I dont care all that much
>>> but it would seem like common politeness......
>>> 
>> 	It is not necessary to proceed phone numbers with a 1 in
>> the Santa Clara dialing area, ie Silicon Valley.  It is an error
>> to do so.  People know if it is required in their area or not.
>> Don Steiny - Personetics @ (408) 425-0382
>
>That last makes no sense at all, does it???????
>       				Ray
>


A short history of North American dialing and area codes:

Originally, all area codes had (and right now still do) a
zero or one for their middle digit; central office codes
(the first three digits of a seven digit number) *never*
had a zero or one in the middle.  Therefore, switching equipment
could always tell if someone was dialing locally or to another
area code by examining the middle digit of the first three digits.
[It could have just counted digits, but how long does it wait
until it decides that only 7 digits are coming?]  As the population
expanded, it became necessary to use zero or one in central office
codes, which introduced the need of the extra 1+ so that
the switch recognizes the long distance nature of the call.
Some area codes have not yet expanded to fill all their central
office codes (no 0/1), so they do not yet need 1+ dialing.
New Jersey finally converted last July 1.  When all the new
central office codes (with 0/1) are exhausted, then the area
code is split into two, as recently happened to  New York City
and to Los Angeles.

Actually, I think the original poster was referring to something
else (I seem to remember it was posted from Holland).  That is,
world dialing.

There also exist country codes, which are anywhere from 1 to 3 digits.
The first of the digits refer to the following locations:
1   Canada, US (Accesses the North American Numbering Plan)
2   Africa (e.g., Morocco 212, Egypt 20, Nigeria 234)
3,4 Europe (e.g., Iceland 354, Austria 43, Netherlands 31)
5   South and Central America, Mexico (e.g., Mexico 52, Argentina 54)
6   South  Pacific (e.g., Philippines 63, French Polynesia 689)
7   USSR (All of it)
8   North Pacific (e.g., Japan 81, Hong Kong 852)
9   Far and Middle East (Iran 98, Kuwait 965)
0   Spare (What country is this? :-))

I think the +1 referred to in the original posting was the country code.
Most USers are parochial in this regard for the same
reason most don't speak other languages in addition to English: they never
(well, rarely) have to.  European countries are so near each other,
I imagine that much international dialing occurs, so most people
know about it.  Almost nobody in the US even knows *how* to dial
internationally (except Canada, which uses the same plan).

-- 

". . . and shun the frumious Bandersnatch."
       Robert Neinast (ihnp4!ho95b!ran)
       AT&T-Bell Labs