NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #20/NN_1992_20.iso/spool/comp/dcom/telecom/10275

Internet Message Format | 1992-09-09 | 2.0 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!news.acns.nwu.edu!telecom-request
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 92 15:07 GMT
From: Richard Cox <[e-mail]>
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: When Did France go to Eight Digit Numbers
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 697, Message 2 of 13
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C. Moore at BRL.MIL asks when France went to eight digit numbers.  I
can look up the exact date if no one else beats me to it!  Of course
before France went to eight digit numbers, they used a two + six
approach: two digit area code and six digit local number. So, to anyone
calling from outside France, the change made no difference -- the
caller still dialed the country code and eight digits.

Paris was different -- indeed it still is.  Effectively it has nine
digits (an area code of 1, with eight digit local numbers).  Before
the change Paris had two separate single digit area codes for
different "zones", and seven digit local numbers in each zone.  The
plan was for there to be four [or five] zones from 1995, each with a 1
digit area code (prefixed by a "0", instead of "16", when dialing
from other zones). However this plan is being reviewed because users
have said that they would prefer to have standard nine digit national
numbers that can be dialed unchanged from anywhere within France.

Fred Gaechter at Bellcore has said he sees a similar future for the
NANP: dialling ten digits for ALL calls irrespective of whether
they're local, toll, or outwith your NPA. Do other Digest readers
think this would be acceptable?


Richard Cox

Mandarin Technology, Cardiff Business Park, Llanishen, CARDIFF, Wales CF4 5WF
Voice: [phone]      Fax: [phone]      VoiceMail: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]