Ten digit dialing starts today! (Wilkes-Barre, Wyoming: home, buy, theater)

[thecoalman]

You mean the call marketing? That's all done automatically even to the point where they are dialing numbers and not switching it to a real person unless it's answered.

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

You mean the call marketing? That's all done automatically even to the point where they are dialing numbers and not switching it to a real person unless it's answered.

That's what I love caller ID for! None get answered if they don't leave a message. We aren't wasting time talking to robots! I still hope the new system is hard on the robots!

[thecoalman]

Fisheye, you're on the do not call list?

https://www.donotcall.gov/

[bloominscranton]

All of our numbers are on the do not call list, but poltical party calls are exempt, debt collectors that have fake phone numbers for people skipping their responsibilities still call...so basically it helps but does not elimate all of them. My husband and I have had the same number since I moved here and I keep getting calls for people I never heard of! We have had the same number since 2007...so I know there are lots of shady people in the area!

[theatergypsy]

Originally Posted by fisheye

That's what I love caller ID for! None get answered if they don't leave a message. We aren't wasting time talking to robots! I still hope the new system is hard on the robots!

sorry, fish, they'll just keep calling until you answer.

Originally Posted by thecoalman

Fisheye, you're on the do not call list?

https://www.donotcall.gov/

Doesn't matter, coalman. I've been on the DNC list since it began, and have even re-registered. Those SOB's want me to have a lower interest rate on my credit cards and a remotely activated necklace in case "I've fallen and I can't get up". One fruit loop tried to convince me that I "won" a home security system. He gave up when I told him that I was speaking to him from the County lock-up where I was incarcerated and I was pretty sure they already had a security system.

Two days later, same company, different caller, wanted me to have a combination security/smoke alarm system. I asked her why she still smoked after all the Surgeon General warnings. She said, "I don't smoke", and I said, "Then why did you say you smoke?" We went around for a couple of minutes with me "misunderstanding" and her trying to explain. Eventually, she began shouting, "Smoke Alarm! Smoke Alarm! Smoke Alarm!" and hung up. I had visions of her co-workers splashing her with cold water and yelling at her to get a grip. I laughed and finished my ice cream.

Sometimes, you just need something besides TV for entertainment.

As for dialing 10 numbers, it won't take long before you won't even need to think about it. And most phones are programmable so your frequently dialed numbers are locked in and you only need to push ONE button to dial them.

Of course it could have been handled better but that would have required thought.

[Trucker7]

There is not a technical reason for the ten digit dialing. It is not hard for the telephone company to program their computers so that a number that begins with a 1 is long distance, a number that begins in 717 goes to the new area code, and any other 7-digit number is local 570.

Ten-digit dialing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In order to promote fairness among carriers, 10-digit dialing became an FCC requirement.

BTW, I use Ooma's phone service (VOIP) and, as of today, can still make 7 digit phone calls.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by Trucker7

There is not a technical reason for the ten digit dialing.

As I understand it the big problem as it was before is they are out of numbers, part of that is due to them allotting large blocks that may go unused for a while. No longer is it one phone number per household but every one in the house with their own phone number.

BTW, I use Ooma's phone service (VOIP) and, as of today, can still make 7 digit phone calls.

That's part of the issue, you have Ooma, Comcast, Vonage and all these other services that need numbers. They may allot 20K to them but only use 5K.

[Trucker7]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

That's aprt of the issue, you have Ooma, Comacast, Vonage and all these other services that need numbers. They may allot 20K to them but only use 5K.

I understand the reason for the second area code. What I don't understand is the reason to require ten digit dialing for all calls, instead of 7-digit dialing for 570 to 570 calls and 10 digits for 570 to 717 calls and vice versa. It is perfectly possible for the telco to program their computers to discern between the two.

[thecoalman]

I see your point but going back to your quote:

In order to promote fairness among carriers, 10-digit dialing became an FCC requirement.

If Verizon has a million phone numbers and some smaller company wants in on the action they are going to get stuck with the ten digit ones giving Verizon a competitive advantage.

As I said they should of thought of this when they switched from 717, should have been obvious it was not going to be sufficient.

[jtab4994]

Until the mid-1980's all area codes had a 0 or 1 as the middle digit. Also, no 3-digit local exchange had a 0 or 1 in the middle. This system made it easy for the computers to recognize a long distance call being dialed. However, when they started running out of phone numbers, they had to add new area codes with digits 2 thru 9 in the middle, and thus we had to start dialing a 1 for long distance.

I live in 570 and work in 973, so all the numbers in my cell phone already had the area code, since I could not predict where I'd be when placing a call. I rarely make calls from my land line, because all the calls from my cell are free!