ΪΔΔΔΏ ΪΔΔΔΏ ΪΔΔΔΔΔΔΏ ΪΩ ΐΏ ³ ΐΔΔΔΔΔΔ ³ ³ ΐΔΏ ³ ΐΔΔΔΔΏ ³ ΐΏ ΓΔΔΔΔΏ ΐΔΏ ³ ³ ³ ΐΔΔ ΐΏ ³ ³ ³ ΪΩ ³ ΪΔΩ ³ ΔΔΏ ΪΔΔΩ ΐΔΔΔΔΔΔΩ ³ ΐΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΔΩ Damned Fucking Shit Edited by Access Denied Issue #7 Title: 414 Area Code Split Date: 10/11/93 By: Access Denied ――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――― 414 Area Code Split Here's an interesting article. It mainly applies to 414, but it's interesting reading for people of other area codes. [This was taken from the Milwaukee Journal, Oct. 10, 1993] [All comments by the editor (Access Denied) are in []s.] Touch-tones to get a workout when new area codes begin Imagine this: You pick up your phone to call your neighbor across the street and you have to dial an area code that's so different from your own you think he's in another state or country. [Country? Come on now...Canada maybe.] That's probably exactly what you will be doing in a few years to reach not only your new neighbor, but any number of newcomers in this part of the state [South East Wisconsin]. Wisconsin, like other states, is running out of telephone numbers. And nowhere in the state is that problem more pressing than in that portion of Wisconsin that uses the 414 area code, a thickly populated area that covers most of eastern Wisconsin from Kenosha to Green Bay and beyond. "There are no more area codes," sighs Gary Drexler, a member of the Wisconsin State Telephone Associations's engineering committee, which is examining this particular bare cupboard. "The guy down the street from you will have to have a different number." "The 414 area will be split some way in the 1996-1997 time frame. We will need a new area code by then," agrees Phil Jenkins, an engineer in the telecommunications division of the state Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities in the state. More 11-Digit Calls But wait. Before the state starts thinking about giving out new area codes in the 414 area or anywhere else, it has another job to do. And state commissioners probably will do that in about two weeks. Be prepared, then, to begin dialing 11 digits instead of today's 8, for long-distance calls within the same area code. [Oh darn. If you can't deal with that you should be dead.] The state telephone association is recommending that change as a first step toward handling the number crunch -- and PSC staffers said last week that they supported it. Commissioners are to take up the proposed change at a meeting later this month. If they agree, you will have to start dialing 1 plus the area code plus the number you are trying to reach for all long-distance calls. Today, you don't have to dial the area code for long-distance calls within the same area code. Change Comes In 1995 The phone association says it wants to begin this new dialing sequence on Jan. 1, 1995. That's when a new national numbering plan goes into effect. The national plan also grew out of the same problem: not enough area codes as we know them today to go around. The explosion in fax machines, cellular phones, pagers, computer modems and other technology has gobbled up almost the entire combination of available numbers today. [Look at New York.] The current system uses either a 1 or 0 in the middle of the three-digit area code to help telephone switching equipment distinguish between area codes and the first three digits of the local exchange. The trouble is that that gives only 144 area codes, each of which can support about 7.8 million seven-digit phone numbers. [780 exchnages? Sure, why not?] So, the industry has decided to begin using other numbers in the middle of the area codes, which will give it 640 new area codes. That means not only that telephone switching equipment will have to be upgraded, but that something will need to be done about dialing patterns, such as the first three digits of local exchanges, so that computerized switching equipment does not get confused. [Good bye ESS7. Hello ESS10?] The Wisconsin State Telephone Association, a trade group of phone companies in the state, including Ameritech and GE, is recommending that the area code be dialed each time for all long- distance calls even within the same area code. Let's take 224-2280 as an example. [Milwaukee Journal Business line or something.] In the future, that 224 could be either an area code or a local exchange number. But phone switching equipment would be able to recognize the difference if someone dialed a combination of 1 plus 10 digits. That's why the state phone association is suggesting the change Drexler said. What does this mean for consumers? For existing residential customers it means nothing much more that the inconvenience of dialing a few extra numbers. For people who move into the 414 area code from outside the area, it will mean assignment of a new area code, other than 414. People who move from one local calling area to another, say from Shorewood to Oak Creek, would also get a new area code. For businesses, such as telemarketing firms, the change could be a big headache. It could mean extra time in dialing. [Oh darn again. I'll really miss those shitheads calling me at 6 in the morning. They can burn in hell for all I care.] Bob Schulze, customer services director for Schneider Communications, a Green Bay based company that provides telephone service to 18,000 businesses, suggests businesses begin thinking today about upgrading their PBXs, or private branch exchanges, [PBX = Private Branch Exchange. So? Like that really explains it to the average idiot who lives in Milwaukee (85 percent of the people)] so that dialing changes can be programmed. "If I were a business customer I would very quickly be talking to my programmers about what kind of equipment would be needed," he said. "They should look at this carefully." The state telephone association, however, has tried to minimize the disruptions. For example, it could have suggested giving all suburbs a new area code, as was done a few years ago in the Chicago area. [708/312 for all you idiots.] But that would have resulted in a great deal of extra expenses for businesses, which would have needed to change letterheads, business cards and other things. That's why, Drexler said, the phone companies are suggesting the state approve a system in which all newcomers to 414 would get new area codes. [Why you would WANT to come to 414 is beyond me though.] [Here's my comments. I think this is a needed change. If anyone bitches about it, fuck them. Like it's so hard to dial 3 more numbers when you dial someone. Maybe all those people will die. This change will happen anyway so there's no need to protest it. People will get used to it very fast.] ΙΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝ» Ί Distribution Sites: Ί Ί If you're on the BBSs you know it. Ί Ί Fuck you if you're not. Ί ΘΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΝΌ ^Z