BBS Toolkit/BBS Toolkit.iso/programs/telcod11.zip/READTHIS.DOC

Text File | 1991-12-20 | 10KB | 210 lines

Tel Codes - release #11
20 December 1991

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[Since release #10, the archive was split up with Tel Codes (TELCOD)
retaining the exchange, area code and country lists, while a new
archive, Tel Docs (TELDOC) was formed to contain the telecom documents
that are no longer found here. Please make note of this and watch for both
the TELCOD and TELDOC archives.
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Tel Codes is a package of telephone information that is available free of
charge to the BBS community and other interested persons. Tel Codes may be
used for lawful purposes only. Tel Codes may be distributed and reproduced
provided that the files are provided without modification of contents and
that the Tel Codes files be available without specific fee (it is okay to
make Tel Codes available for download on BBSes that charge a fee, however,
or to distribute them on diskette on a non-profit basis).

Tel Codes is provided free and without warranty of any kind; the user
accepts all responsibility for the use of this list.

U.S. codes are being worked on, and some are offered as separate
files. A package of USA codes has not been established as of this
writing. The main emphasis will be to maintain and update the
Canadian codes as necessary. Watch the TELECOM echo mail area
on the IMEX network (zone 89) for future releases of TELCOD.


This package of text files provides the following information:

- Telex service country codes (NEW for release #11)
- all known country codes for international dialing, including
  some country codes not yet active from Canadian telephones
- all area codes for North America, plus proposed expansion method
  when existing area codes run out
- telephone exchange numbers for all area codes in Canada
- Canadian 800 service exchanges
- list of Caribbean exchanges (area code 809)
- list of U.S. long distance carriers and their access codes

Listings are done primarily by exchange number rather than location.
A list of abbreviations used and the corresponding communities appears
after the exchange number charts, and these roughly correspond to
the alphabetical order of the places.

For each area code exchange list, the exchanges are listed in a table
where the first two digits of the exchange are in the rows, and the last
exchange digit is in the column. To get 335, go to the row with "33" then
look under column "5". Where a town or city has more letters than can be
placed in the chart, it is represented as an abbreviation which may be
found after the exchange listings.

The latest Tel Codes list is available for downloading from various BBSes
in the Toronto area. Look for the file TELCOD11 or TELCOD## (where ## is
not less than 11). The TELECOM discussion area is also available on some
of the Imex and other Fido-compatible BBSes, mainly in the Toronto area.

Thanks go to those individuals who have contributed to the list with
additional information, often through the TELECOM discussion area. Any
input to future Tel Codes releases is welcome. For inquiries, comments and
corrections, contact the BBS names in the SOURCE.BBS file with this package,
or use the TELECOM message echomail area which should be available at a
friendly neighbourhood BBS. If your favourite BBS is missing TELECOM, ask
your sysop to carry it; it should be available via the IMEX (formerly
Alternet) service (zone 89).

In particular, thanks go to many people with Telecom Digest on the Usenet
service who discuss various telephone issues and details (and in particular,
Patrick Townson, the moderator). Carl Moore has been helpful in providing
corrected information since release #7. Also, thanks to Nigel Allen for
hints and info that is provided from time to time. Thanks, too, to the
various phone companies and their various sources, without which we
couldn't be talking about telephones at all.


Release history:

Release #1 started off with area code 416. Eventually, releases #2 through
#5 grew as more area codes were added, first with other Ontario exchanges,
then with Montreal, and Quebec, then the Atlantic provinces. Then, area
codes were added in the westbound direction, starting with Manitoba, then
Saskatchewan.

Release #6 was the first release to list all the Canadian area codes.
Area codes 604 (British Columbia) and 403 (Alberta, Yukon, Northwest
Territories) have been added since release #5.

Release #7 (March 90) contained new files on 900 service exchanges,
detailed information on 700/800/900 service exchanges, U.S. long
distance carriers, Inmarsat information, and TTY/TDD details. Some
filling in of blanks and question marks has been done to the existing
lists of area codes (British Columbia was particularly deficient in a
number of exchanges).

Release #8 (11 May 90) contains an overhauled list of magazines, a new area
809 chart for Caribbean numbers and a number of updates to files here and
there (including some missing or new exchanges on various area codes).

Release #9 is essentially a maintenance release, what with updates to the
416 and 604 charts, plus a few new files and some updating to existing
files where found necessary. The CODES.DOC file has been split into
separate smaller files according to general subject (eg. country codes
gets its own separate file now).

As of release #10, TELCOD## will concentrate on area/exchange codes.
The other telecom documents will now be issued as a separate package,
TELDOC##. Watch for the docs in that file. Otherwise, this release just
updates some exchanges and codes here and there.

Release #11 is a maintenance release for the most part, but serious
gaps were discovered in the Saskatchewan (306) list. These gaps should
be filled. Also, a new Telex country codes list is included starting
with #11. Some updating here and there was done with other documents,
including a number of forthcoming area code splits and changes underway,
especially the 416/905 split happening in the Toronto region starting
in 1993.


Other notes:

Some updating will be found on some of the exchange lists since last
release. Improvements and corrections have been made as necessary.

Area code 905 will split 416 so that 416 remains for Metro Toronto
while the remainder of 416 will change area code to 905. By checking
the 416 list, it is easy to tell the prefixes going into 905 by
looking for those places not in Toronto. When the time comes, and
if Tel Codes is still a going concern in '93, the 905 chart will
be started up.

Area code 416 was cut over to include extra exchange codes in March 1990.
This means that long distance calls within 416 will need to be dialed
using "1 416 +" instead of just "1 +". This will allow area codes to be
used as exchange codes, allowing up to 160 new exchanges in 416.
Tel Codes has been updated to reflect the situation, including the listing
of some of the new exchanges now in service.

Files list:

All files in the Tel Codes package for release #7 are all text files;
there should be no program or executable files included.

AREA###.DOC  - list of exchanges for each area code in Canada:

(Canadian area code listings, country/area code listings)

AREA204.DOC  - Manitoba
AREA306.DOC  - Saskatchewan
AREA403.DOC  - Alberta, Yukon, Western Northwest Territories
AREA416.DOC  - central Ontario (Toronto, Hamilton)
AREA418.DOC  - eastern Quebec
AREA506.DOC  - New Brunswick
AREA514.DOC  - Quebec, Montreal area
AREA519.DOC  - southwestern Ontario (London)
AREA604.DOC  - British Columbia
AREA613.DOC  - eastern Ontario (Ottawa)
AREA705.DOC  - northeastern Ontario (North Bay, Barrie)
AREA709.DOC  - Newfoundland
AREA807.DOC  - northwestern Ontario (Thunder Bay)
AREA819.DOC  - western, northern Quebec, eastern Northwest Territories
AREA902.DOC  - Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island

AREA800.DOC  - list of 800 area exchanges used in Canada

AREA809.DOC  - list of Caribbean exchanges (starting with release #8)

[Note: the CODES.DOC file has been split into three separate files now
according to general category. This was effective from release #9.]

CODES.DOC    - list of area codes for North America
CTRYCODE.DOC - list of country codes for overseas dialing
DIALPLAN.DOC - some notes on the dialing plan for North America, how calls
               are dialed, how area codes and exchanges are set up
TLXCODES.DOC - country codes for Telex (since release #11)

*** NOTE ***

The following documents were once part of the TELCOD archive; they
will no longer be included in this package and are now included in
the new TELDOC archive ("Tel Docs"):


BELLRATE.DOC - how long distance charges are calculated
MAGAZINE.DOC - list of telecom-related magazines
READTHIS.DOC - this file
TECHNOTE.DOC - some technical information on the phone system

SOURCE.BBS   - a BBS where Tel Codes may be found

(New documents, effective release #7)

GUIDECOD.DOC - Guide to area codes, plus more details on 700,
               800 and 900 services
INMARSAT.DOC - Describes maritime satellite mobile service, with list
               of "exchanges" used for this service
LDCARR.DOC   - A list of U.S. long distance carriers & access codes
SWITCHES.DOC - Types of telephone switching equipment used
TTYTDD.DOC   - History and description of TTY/TDD service for the
               hearing impaired
900EXCH.DOC  - A description of some 900 service exchanges

(New documents, effective release #9)

HI-KEYS.DOC  - Description of those "high-order" keys as they were used
               in the Autovon system
TELEX.DOC    - History and operation of the Telex service
WORLDCEL.DOC - List of the kinds of cellular systems used in various countries