[geeks] International calling question

[Sandwich Maker]

" From: John Francini <francini at mac.com>
" 
" 
" As for required digits when calling within the US from a traditional  
" landline, it seems to vary from state to state.
" 
" In New Hampshire, I can call anywhere in the state by dialing 7  
" digits.  But NH still has only ONE area code, 603.
" 
" In Massachusetts, *everyone* must dial 1-areacode-xxx-yyyy, because  
" there are 9 different area codes in the state.  In western Mass,  
" there's one - 413.  In eastern Mass, there's 8 -- 4 landline area  
" codes (617, 508, 781, and 978), and 4 other-services codes (857, 774,  
" 339, and 351) overlaid on top of them.

7-digit dialling persisted until the overlays happened.  i'm on the
state line and i could even dial several nh towns with 7 digits, those
within my lca.  this was an easy test to see if a town -was- within my
lca; if 7 digits reached it, it was.

now, not only do i have 10-digit dialling, but i have a flat ~2.5c
rate to north and central america, europe, and parts of the far east,
thanks to voip.  i use the phone so little these days i've only once
gone over my minutes in a month.

" Area codes still give some info on where someone is located, to some  
" extent.

the elephant in the room is number portability.  i have my old verizon
landline number on my voip service, but i could just as easily have
gotten a nh or even ny number if i'd wanted.  folks can move around
and jump cell providers and still have their numbers from halfway
across the country.

my mother couldn't get a cell number in her own area because they
'were all used up' according to the salesman.
________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Hay                                  the genius nature
internet rambler                            is to see what all have seen
adh at an.bradford.ma.us                       and think what none thought