10 Digit Numbers Coming, and a new Area Code

[SteveToms]

- Remembering a phone number is about to get a little trickier -- Albertans will soon have to dial 10 digits every time they make a call.Regardless if it's a local or long distance call, everyone in the province will have to dial area codes 403 or 780 before the number. And on Sept. 12, a new area code, 587, will be added to future telephone numbers across Alberta.
Starting June 23, everyone who dials a number without an area code will hear a reminder to add the three extra digits next time before a call is connected.
"Alberta's running out of phone numbers," said Telus spokesman Shawn Hall. "If we didn't add a new area code by early next year, there are communities that would run out of phone numbers to use."

The decision to add the 587 area code provincewide was made to avoid forcing any

region of the province to change the area code it is used to.

Note, I think this should go here, sorry if wrong
Hall said the explosion of wireless communications devices -- such as cellphones, BlackBerries and pagers -- has eaten most of the available telephone numbers.
He suggested companies and residents start reprogramming their telephone systems as soon as possible.

The change to 10-digit dialing has been made in Vancouver, across Ontario and in many
regions of the United States.
Quebec and the rest of B.C. will institute new area codes this year.
Telecom industry experts say area codes are rapidly being exhausted across North America and predict that by 2030, most major cities will be using as many as 13 digits to make simple calls.
Marc Tremblay, vice-president of Leger Marketing, a national firm that completes thousands of phone calls to conduct polling work and marketing research, said it shouldn't take long to adjust to the new

system.
"It's a bit of an inconvenience for people for the first week or so and then they forget about it," said Tremblay.
"It's not a big deal. It's happened in other parts of Canada and the world. It's the way things are going."

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...5058b8e&k=3740

[albertGQ]

All my phone numbers on my cell are programmed with ten digits, so this won't affect me at all

[J pold]

Meh I can't remember the last time I actually dialed a number

It's all saved in my address book

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by J pold

Meh I can't remember the last time I actually dialed a number

It's all saved in my address book

You save hooker and blow delivery services into your address book?

ver' Nice.

Seriously though, 13 digits? 9,999,999,999,999 numbers? Ten TRILLION numbers?

[Iggy's Forehead]

It doesn't take any more memory. Pretty sure everyone knows a call to Calgary is 403, to Edmonton 780.

edit: just read the part about a new area code. N/m

[J pold]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

You save hooker and blow delivery services into your address book?

ver' Nice.

Oh yeah it's in there

Right between The now closeed Easy Street and Lloyd's Roller park

[4X4]

I think the only people that are really going to care are the ones who make TV commercials. "♫ Dial 403 273 73 73, Pizza 40373, the pizza's onnnnn......♪"

[Iggy's Forehead]

Originally Posted by 4X4

I think the only people that are really going to care are the ones who make TV commercials. "♫ Dial 403 273 73 73, Pizza 40373, the pizza's onnnnn......♪"

LOL. L O L.

[chid]

That message is annoying to dial the area code, had it in London ON while I lived there. Drove me crazy.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Iggy's Forehead

It doesn't take any more memory. Pretty sure everyone knows a call to Calgary is 403, to Edmonton 780.

edit: just read the part about a new area code. N/m

Yeah, I just don't get that. Basically my next door neighbour can have a number 1 digit off from a guy from Fort Mac.

The solution should have been to give Calgary its own code, Edmonton its own, and then the new code for the rest of Alberta. But somebody thought this was going to be better than making people in Northern Alberta change area codes twice in 10 years.

[VANFLAMESFAN]

It gets annoying for like a month, but you get used to it pretty damn easy, I don't even really remember what it was like to dial a seven digit number.

[worth]

Originally Posted by VANFLAMESFAN

It gets annoying for like a month, but you get used to it pretty damn easy, I don't even really remember what it was like to dial a seven digit number.

Well, it's like dialing a 10 digit number with 3 less digits.

[The Goon]

My cellphone is a rotary, so this is really going to hurt my index finger.

[HotHotHeat]

Originally Posted by The Goon

My cellphone is a rotary, so this is really going to hurt my index finger.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by VANFLAMESFAN

It gets annoying for like a month, but you get used to it pretty damn easy, I don't even really remember what it was like to dial a seven digit number.

But I don't think you are getting the point. In Vancouver you use 604, but if you are calling Richmond, you know to use the 250 area code. Nice and simple; really you are just remembering the 7 digit number, and then adding the area code in front depending on what city you are dialing.

But flash forward to Alberta in a few years. We will have to remember the entire 10 digit number, because it will no longer be an area code, because the first 3 digits will have nothing to do with the geographical area. Then a few years after that when we run out again, instead of splitting Calgary into 2 area codes based on quadrants (or something) we will get yet another area code good for all of Alberta.

For another perspective, for all of my family in Winnipeg, I just have to remember their 7 digit phone numbers, and then remember that its 204 for all of their area codes. For them to call us here in Alberta; they will need to remember the entire 10 digits, because it will no longer fall that "Ken is in Calgary so it's 403, Jim is in Edmonton so its 780."

[flip]

So if I am understanding this right Northern AB will remain 780 while Souther AB will remain 403. But any new phone numbers registered ANYWHERE in AB after August or whatever will have the new 587? So my current home number will be dialed 403 but if I get a new cell phone or another land line in my house after August they will have the new area code? This province is truly run by ######s...wait that is offensive to ######s.

That is by far the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Why don't they just have all of Calgary adopt a new area code of 587 and problem solved. Rural AB can keep 403, and EDM can keep 780.

[FlamesKickAss]

that would make the most sense, but what about way up north like fort mac that is on 780. Put them back to 403 too?

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by ken0042

But I don't think you are getting the point. In Vancouver you use 604, but if you are calling Richmond, you know to use the 250 area code. Nice and simple; really you are just remembering the 7 digit number, and then adding the area code in front depending on what city you are dialing.

Richmond doesn't use the 250 area code. Lower mainland is all 604 with the exception of 778 used on new cell phone numbers.

[Gozer]

Why not make 587 the area code for every fax number in Alberta?

[FireFly]

Isn't the government grand?!

Apparently they decided this because if you gave just Calgary the 403 area code, it would still need a new area code within 5-10 years. I don't remember the specifics anymore tho, but it seemed dumb then and it still seems dumb now.