[wwu123]

Signed up with a national VOIP service for new home phone service for my parents moving to LV/Henderson in two weeks. With this VOIP provider you can actually choose a phone number nearly anywhere in the country (even multiple numbers ringing to one phone).

I wanted to get my parents a local 702 number, and was given a choice of area codes. Does it matter what the prefix is (the next three numbers) - are the prefixes tied roughly to neighborhoods? Parents are moving to Anthem, but the VOIP provider didn't ask for that info, just gave me several different prefixes in 702 to pick from. I picked 702-765-XXXX, not sure if it mattered any.

(In the SF Bay area, I've moved 8 miles within the same area code and had to change phone numbers because I was in a different prefix area. The local Bell also maddenly used the prefixes to charge per-minute "local toll" fees if you call someone in your area code more than a few miles from your own house. Those local toll fees were higher than long-distance calls cross-country. )

[Tabak]

For old traditional telephone service the prefix is assigned to a specific switching office which is assigned to a specific geographical area. A city the size of Las Vegas probably has more than a single switching office so the answer would be yes. But if you have VOIP which most of us will before too long then it will not make any difference where you are in the world because your phone number goes where you go.

[scirocco22]

There are, however, specific prefixes assigned to geographical areas outside the immediate metropolitan area. For example, Mesquite/Bunkerville or Laughlin/Searchlight will have specific prefixes which are exclusive to those areas.

[wwu123]

Thanks, I did do a few web searches and made sure the prefix is associated with Las Vegas area, but looks like within the Las Vegas metro area, Henderson vs Las Vegas prefixes seem fairly interchangeable.

[wwu123]

Originally Posted by Tabak

For old traditional telephone service the prefix is assigned to a specific switching office which is assigned to a specific geographical area. A city the size of Las Vegas probably has more than a single switching office so the answer would be yes. But if you have VOIP which most of us will before too long then it will not make any difference where you are in the world because your phone number goes where you go.

Yes, in fact part of me wonders whether I should even bother getting them a landline, let alone a 702 area code, when they have mobile phones. But I think they are going to keep their mobile numbers from their current residence, as we have other relatives there. And thus I think many of their elderly friends in L.A. or already in Las Vegas are not going to "perceive" my parents to be "in Las Vegas" if they are calling a mobile number from another state.

It gets even more screwy that with VOIP, you can order additional phone numbers for California, New York, Japan, that will also ring to this same VOIP device that will be located in Las Vegas.

[Buzz123]

In the old days we had to change prefixes in Las Vegas if we moved out of the range of the old number. But now that your number goes with you it doesn't matter. You can still roughly tell where someone lives by the prefix if they haven't moved around too much.

I don't know what a VOIP is, but you might consider this: 911 can only find you if you call from a land line. So if there is a chance your parents might need to call 911 the cell phones might not do.

In case you're interested, here's the area code map for Nevada with some of the prefixes. Note that most of the people are in the 702, and most of 775 is not even inhabited. Free People Search | WhitePages

[aqualung8705]

Buzz, VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. It sounds like WWU might have signed up with Vonage.

WWU, where in the Bay Area are you originally from? My old stomping grounds were Santa Rosa, and Napa. Needless to say, I love 707.

[wwu123]

Not Vonage, but Lingo, which we use at home here in CA. Not always the greatest voice quality, but generally reliable and cheap. Then again we don't really use the home phone that often, sometimes we'll go months without even having a phone hooked up. Their cheapest plan for low use runs $15/mo, all taxes and fees, low long-distance and int'l rates if needed, can quickly configure additional area codes, 1-800 numbers, or all the voicemail/forwarding features from the website. Faxing also works fine, and we run a 2nd office line that's only $5/mo more.

North Bay 707 is beautiful certainly, but only get up there for weekend getaways. I'm down around Palo Alto (650 since this is an area code thread). Pity San Jose nearby - there was just an article yesterday that 408 is going through an area code split soon.

Sounds like Las Vegas is fairly safe to keep together the single 702 area code for many more years.

[wwu123]

Originally Posted by Buzz123

In the old days we had to change prefixes in Las Vegas if we moved out of the range of the old number. But now that your number goes with you it doesn't matter. You can still roughly tell where someone lives by the prefix if they haven't moved around too much.

I don't know what a VOIP is, but you might consider this: 911 can only find you if you call from a land line. So if there is a chance your parents might need to call 911 the cell phones might not do.

In case you're interested, here's the area code map for Nevada with some of the prefixes. Note that most of the people are in the 702, and most of 775 is not even inhabited. Free People Search | WhitePages

Good point on the 911 stuff, esp for my elderly parents. VOIP providers have been obligated to register a local service address for E911, so that you can still get local 911 service if you call.

[Buzz123]

We switched to Cox Cable and bundled our phone, internet, and cable TV. I actually hate cable companies (it's a long story why), but find I now need them. Still frosts my a$$, as they say, to pay the bill though.