TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Oakland Calif Conversion From 6 to 7 Digit Dialing?

Re: Oakland Calif Conversion From 6 to 7 Digit Dialing?

Wesrock@aol.com
Tue, 27 Sep 2005 20:29:01 EDT

In a message dated 27 Sep 2005 09:40:30 -0700, hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com writes:

> In reading a book about the Key System railway, older schedules had a
> six-digit phone number (2L-4N) while newer ones had seven-digits
> (2L-5N).

> Would anyone know when Oakland converted?

> Also, was six digit dialing (2L-4N) common in a lot of places? I
> though most city dial offices were 5 digit for smaller cities and 7
> digit (3L-4N) for larger cities. The seven digits were used as part
> of the panel installation for cities expecting growth and to provide
> for automatic integrated dialing to/from suburban areas as well.

There were all kinds of plans in all kinds of cities. Dallas and
Houston at one time had 1L-4D numbers (Riverside-4085 in Dallas, for
example, was R-4085).. Oklahoma City had 5D and 6D numbers, later
changing to 2L-4D. Tulsa at one time had a mixture of 4D, 5D and 6D
numbers, all at the same time. It all depended on the circumstances
and the history of the numbering plan, growth, expansion of the
dialing area, contiguious tiers, and others facts, not least of which
was the engieners and the traffic engineers preferences, along with
the preferences of higher managers.

The president (the title then meant CEO) of Southwestern Bell agreed
to allow Wichita Falls, Texas, to be the guinea pig for ANC
(all-number calling, that is, 7D). The reaction was so adverse that
he declared no other SWBT city would go ANC during his tenure as CEO
(quite a few more years), and none di.

Eventually, of course, all changed to 2L-5D or directly to 7D.

Wes Leatherock
wesrock@aol.com

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