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Old 9th Jul 2016, 1:18 pm   #21
nutteronthebus
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Default Re: Non-Six Digit 'Phone Numbers

Buxton still has a 10 digit STD code 01298 7xxxx that upsets some PABX as they are waiting for the 11 digit and take there time calling out ( flen on Meridian PABX)

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Old 9th Jul 2016, 5:34 pm   #22
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Default Re: Non-Six Digit 'Phone Numbers

What happens on such a PABX if you stick a random extra digit on?

On BT landlines, anything added after the real number is dialled seems to be ignored and you just get through to the number you want.
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Old 9th Jul 2016, 6:16 pm   #23
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Default Re: Non-Six Digit 'Phone Numbers

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Originally Posted by Pellseinydd View Post
Forgot to mention that the 'STD codes are not necessarily padded out to provide eleven digits. There are quite a few exchanges with a four digit code (excluding the initial '0' which counts as an 'access digit')
The differences also have to be taken into account today when configuring IP telephony equipment for local 4-6 digit dialling.
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Old 9th Jul 2016, 10:11 pm   #24
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Default Re: Non-Six Digit 'Phone Numbers

For awhile in the 1980s, Belper (just North of Derby) had 4-digit numbers (code 077382) and 6-digit numbers (code 0773, numbers began with 820) co-existing. From a 4-digit phone, you could dial 4-digit or 6-digit Belper numbers. From a 6-digit phone, you could dial 4-digit numbers or 6-digit Belper numbers; but you still had to dial a 9 to call 5- or 6-digit numbers on other exchanges (Ripley and Alfreton) with the same 0773 STD code. For example, if you wanted to dial Ripley 49495 from Belper 820109, you would have to put a 9 in front of it, or you would get connected to Belper 4949.

When the exchange went digital, all Belper numbers became 6-digit by prepending 82 to the old 4-digit number (so anybody outside the Amber Valley area could just carry on dialling the same sequence as before); Alfreton and Ripley 5- and 6-digit numbers could then be dialled from Belper with no code, and the code for Ambergate changed from 985 to 85.
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Old 10th Jul 2016, 3:52 pm   #25
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Default Re: Non-Six Digit 'Phone Numbers

In the late 1980's/early 1990's until it went digital, our local exchange - Mold (then 0352) had at four digit, five digit and six digit numbers on it at the same time.

The four digit numbers were the 2xx-4xxx numbers from when it originally went auto in 1969 as a Strowger exchange.

But in the mid 1970's there was a lot of resident development in the area and it was realised that there would be a shortage of numbers as 6... was a local exchange off Mold and 7... and 8... were other exchanges dependant on Mold. So 5.... numbers starting at 55xxx were introduced but five digits long. That gave another seven thousand numbers.

Then about 1990 a range of six digit numbers 700000 - 700499 was introduced using a System X 'digital concentrator (by then the exchanges on 7.... had gone digital and converted to six digit numbers in the 71xxx range upwards.) Any phones, four/five or six digits on Mold just dialled the 4/5 or 6 number as did the other exchanges which had become six digit numbers in the 0352 7...... Linked Numbering Scheme.

When Mold went digital, the four digit 2xxx/3xxx/4xxx numbers were prefixed with 75 and the five digit numbers starting with 5... were prefixed with a 7 - thus all the old Strowger exchange numbers became 75xxxx - a bit of long term planning with the numbers.

Now there are 01352 numbers ranging from 2xxxxx to 9xxxxx ! How things have changed!
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Old 10th Jul 2016, 3:54 pm   #26
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Default Re: Non-Six Digit 'Phone Numbers

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The differences also have to be taken into account today when configuring IP telephony equipment for local 4-6 digit dialling.
As we found out when we set up CNet as a replica of the old GPO STD/local network some ten years or so ago
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Old 10th Jul 2016, 5:32 pm   #27
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Default Re: Non-Six Digit 'Phone Numbers

Just had a count up of 'exchanges' with less than six digits in the phone numbers.

I'm amazed that it is in excess of 90 'exchanges' with five digit numbers - some having four digit and others five digit STD codes excluding the initial '0'.

Plus there is just Brampton near Carlisle left with four digit numbers (as well as five digits) but a five digit code -01697 7. Plus Brampton has six digit numbers on 01697 (see previous posting about the complications of dialling between the Brampton numbers.

Amazing as it was the ITU's ? intention to standardise on number length by the millennium!
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Old 12th Jul 2016, 10:56 pm   #28
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Default Re: Non-Six Digit 'Phone Numbers

It surprises me that there are still some 4 and 5 figure phone numbers around, even some prominent ones like Vodafone in Newbury, Berkshire : (01635) 33251

While on the subject of phone numbers, there's one thing that's puzzled me for many years. Back in the 1970s - 80s I lived in the Whitchurch area of Bristol. Originally Whitchurch phone numbers were 4 digits but became 6 digits by adding 83 to the number, e.g. Whitchurch 2875 became 832875. In the 1980s, more Whitchurch numbers were added, beginning with 89 e.g. 892228 (Maggs estate agents).

Whitchurch was in the same STD code as Bristol (0272) in those days. Some Bristol numbers then had 5 digits, e.g. 41241 was Brunel College, but most numbers had 6 digits. All eventually converted to 6 figure numbers, so in the late 1980s Bristol 41241 became 241241.

From Whitchurch, to dial another Whitchurch number, we dialled the 6 digits 83xxxx or 89xxxx . But to dial a Bristol number, it was necessary to dial 9 + the Bristol number (either 5 or 6 digits). E.g. to call Brunel College from Whitchurch, dial 9 41241.

Whitchurch customers did not have to dial 9 to get the operator (100) or dial-a-disc (16) but did have to dial 9 to get the speaking clock (98081) and other services like travel information (98021) and weather forecast (98091).

Bristol customers did not have to dial 9 when calling Whitchurch numbers, they just dialled it like a Bristol number. Likewise, the Speaking Clock from Bristol was 8081 and weather forecast was 8091. Long-distance callers dialled the STD code 0272+either the Whitchurch or Bristol number, as though there was no difference between the two.

So my question is: Why did Whitchurch have to dial 9 for Bristol numbers, but Bristol didn't have to dial 9 for Whitchurch numbers? Bristol did have some 9-codes at the time, e.g. 92 for Bath and 95 for Weston-super-Mare. Whitchurch customers had to dial an extra 9, e.g. 992 for Bath.

This was the source of much confusion. Once, after listening to the recorded weather forecast from Whitchurch on 98091, the recording said, "For travel information, dial 8021." This assumed the caller was from Bristol. I started to dial 8021 from Whitchurch, and after dialling 80, I got the number unobtainable tone. So I hung up, and the exchange immediately rang me back! Unwittingly, I had discovered 80 was the bell test number (FRB) from Whitchurch!

Just before I left the area, the Phone Book said that Whitchurch numbers would become Bristol numbers without change. This would have meant no more dialling 9, but in the end it never happened. Whitchurch numbers were moved to another STD code (0275). Bristol numbers had an extra 9 added to them, making them 7 digits long, and the STD code became 0117. So the situation now is that Whitchurch customers must dial 0117+the 7-digit Bristol number and Bristol customers must dial 01275+the 6-digit Whitchurch number.
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Old 12th Jul 2016, 11:37 pm   #29
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Default Re: Non-Six Digit 'Phone Numbers

The Vodafone number may not be quite what it seems. It will be multiple lines, with one number which has been published, so difficult to change. The actual number going into the site could be anything, modern exchanges, as has been said earlier, are more or less computers.
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Old 13th Jul 2016, 7:55 am   #30
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Default Re: Non-Six Digit 'Phone Numbers

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The Vodafone number may not be quite what it seems.
True, but I have several patients from Newbury with 5-digit numbers. They tell me it causes all kinds of problems when giving their number out to people who expect 6 digits, and especially with some forms online.
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Old 13th Jul 2016, 11:46 am   #31
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Default Re: Non-Six Digit 'Phone Numbers

Same in Devon/Dorset and Somerset, some on the same exchange group have 5 or 6 digits. We only had three when we moved here in 1970.

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Old 13th Jul 2016, 4:14 pm   #32
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Default Re: Non-Six Digit 'Phone Numbers

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The Vodafone number may not be quite what it seems. It will be multiple lines, with one number which has been published, so difficult to change. The actual number going into the site could be anything, modern exchanges, as has been said earlier, are more or less computers.
Newbury exchange is one of the 90+ exchanges which still have five digit numbers with a four digit code (excluding the initial '0') - my data base has-
01635 30000 to 49999 Newbury, Berks 4+5
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Old 13th Jul 2016, 4:32 pm   #33
Pellseinydd
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Default Re: Non-Six Digit 'Phone Numbers

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So my question is: Why did Whitchurch have to dial 9 for Bristol numbers, but Bristol didn't have to dial 9 for Whitchurch numbers? Bristol did have some 9-codes at the time, e.g. 92 for Bath and 95 for Weston-super-Mare. Whitchurch customers had to dial an extra 9, e.g. 992 for Bath.

This was the source of much confusion. Once, after listening to the recorded weather forecast from Whitchurch on 98091, the recording said, "For travel information, dial 8021." This assumed the caller was from Bristol. I started to dial 8021 from Whitchurch, and after dialling 80, I got the number unobtainable tone. So I hung up, and the exchange immediately rang me back! Unwittingly, I had discovered 80 was the bell test number (FRB) from Whitchurch!

Just before I left the area, the Phone Book said that Whitchurch numbers would become Bristol numbers without change. This would have meant no more dialling 9, but in the end it never happened. Whitchurch numbers were moved to another STD code (0275). Bristol numbers had an extra 9 added to them, making them 7 digits long, and the STD code became 0117. So the situation now is that Whitchurch customers must dial 0117+the 7-digit Bristol number and Bristol customers must dial 01275+the 6-digit Whitchurch number.
A similar thing happened with the 0244 (Chester) code. Deeside exchange was in the Chester 0244 Linked Numbering Scheme but had to dial a '9' to reach Chester numbers or other dependent exchanges off Chester. The reason was that 'Deeside' numbers had a direct code 85 to Mold (0352) GSC. But by the time that Deeside (originally 0244 86) joined the LNS, Great Mollington exchange (originally 0244 55) had joined the 0244 LNS with six digit numbers beginning with 85. Thus Deeside would have had to use the direct route to Mold between which there was a lot of local traffic meaning a provision of lots more junctions between Deeside and Chester and Chester to Mold - this was still in the days of electro-mechanical exchanges. Thus Deeside numbers had to dial '9' to reach the rest of the Chester LNS but the rest of the Chester LNS just dialled the Deeside number direct without a code.

It also mean that we in Mold could reach Deeside number with to different local codes! 91 reached the Chester LNS followed by the six digit Deeside number or we could use the published direct number 95 followed by the Deeside number.

I'm sure you'll find that was the reason?
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Old 10th Aug 2016, 8:35 pm   #34
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Default Re: Non-Six Digit 'Phone Numbers

Crewkerne is 01460 7XXXX and Chard is the same and I guess all places with the same area code, Currys, at least iirc, online ordering had a problem with this.
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