Hello? Manitoba running out of phone numbers

[harls]

I know a friend that moved from Ft. Garry to downtown and was able to keep his old number (275 prefix), so I don't know if this practice of restricting prefixes to certain areas is still valid.

[vid]

I don't think they do that anywhere now. The technology is no longer limited in that way. I don't think they even need to limit the numbers to communities, you could probably have a 204-463 (as an example) number in any community in Manitoba with how today's technology works. Though maybe not if Manitoba is running out of numbers?

[Andy6]

This completely undermines the whole social status aspect of telephone prefixes. The middleclassness of my childhood 256 as opposed to the snooty old-money 489s, the Frenchmen with their 233s and 247s, the North Enders with their 589s and the lowly Transconans with their 222s. All vanished in today's chaos of telephonic anarchy.

[vid]

My current telephone exchange corresponds to northwest Port Arthur, and I live in southeast Fort William. Pretty much the opposite end of town. The 62n field is filled up at this point except for 620 and 621, which are reserved for cell phones. 62n is the only extension where 0 through 9 are in use in the city.

Area Code 807 isn't expected to be exhausted until 2160.

[cslusarc]

I want a geographic split, rather than an overlay. I would rather change my area code that be forced to do 10 digit local dialling.

[vid]

Who dials anymore, anyway? Everything is speed dialed now.

[1ajs]

not necessarily vid

[vid]

No, but most people do. It isn't that hard. At least there would only be two options to remember instead of however many local exchanges there are.

[jmt18325]

I would like a geographical split, but I'm just not sure how it could work given how concentrated our population is.

[Blitz]

Southwestern Ontario has had 10-digit dialing for a few years now. Everyone freaked out at the beginning at the thought of having to dial 10 numbers but now it's no big deal - and people say their phone numbers by reciting all 10 digits. Actually, a 7-digit phone number looks/sounds weird to me now.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by vid

Maybe they can expand 807 to cover Manitoba, too?

Area codes cannot cross provincial boundaries in most cases (902 and 867 are special exemptions). The only answers are overlaying a second code (431?) in Manitoba, or splitting it (probably with 204 for the Winnipeg area and 431? for the rest of the province).

As for 807, I wouldn't be too sure about maintaining 7-digit dialing after a 705/807 overlay, for several reasons:

1) It would be quite confusing, especially for cellphones which could have 807 anywhere in northern (and central) Ontario, in which who has to dial 7 and who has to dial 10.

2) From the Pacific coast to eastern Quebec, only area codes 306 and 807 would have 7-digit dialing by 2013 (assuming a 204 overlay). Once 306 in Saskatchewan exhausts (probably in the 2016-2021 timeframe), 807 would be the only area in that whole swath with 7-digit dialing. It would certainly be alone in Ontario once 705 is overlaid (no matter what they do - 343, 807 or a new code).

3) If any two areas on either side of the line want local calling introduced, a flash-cut introduction of 10-digit dialing would be needed. Better to prepare now than suddenly later.

[vid]

If 705 receives a completely new overlay code, it will probably be 249.

[eternallyme]

Originally Posted by vid

If 705 receives a completely new overlay code, it will probably be 249.

Yep, or if they split 705 (unlikely), probably 249 would become the new code for northeastern Ontario, since there is very little local dialing to any of the adjacent codes 807, 819 or 906 from that region makes it easier to implement. If 249 was implemented in central Ontario, it would create conflicts with 519, 613 and 905 (and their overlay codes). I think the 807 overlay is best since it uses a lot of numbers that would otherwise sit dormant for decades.

As for Manitoba, area codes 273, 387, 460, 584 and 879 are also workable. (I would remove 460 and 879 as they are the best to relieve 226/519 and 306, respectively.) 579 would also work, but it will be needed in the future in the Montreal area as it is the only easily adaptable code for all of 438, 450 and 514.

[OhGreatOne]

The Canadian Numbering Administrator, through the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) has already begun working on a relief plan for the 204 area code, currently serving all of Manitoba. There are essentially two ways that they have provided relief in the past. One way would be to split the 204 area code. Historically, the central city (greater Manitoba) would retain the existing area code, with the rest of the province changing to the new area code. Sometimes, an overlay is done, creating a second area code that would also serve all of the province. That would result in everyone having to dial the area code (even if it is the same one), and then the local number. What will not happen would be to simply extend the 807 area code into Manitoba. NANPA has an aversion to sharing an area code between two states or provinces. Exceptions were made for the original 403 (and more recently 867) that covers the Yukon, NWT and the recently-created Nunavut territories, as well as 902, which serves both Nova Scotia as well as tiny Prince Edward Island.

[Robert J]

When we had to go from dialing 7-xxxx to dialing 857-xxxx, there was not a great deal of resistance. Changing to dialing ten digits instead of seven digits is no big deal. The BIG deal would be for all the businesses in the changed area. It is difficult to imagine the cost to change all the business cards, letterheads and advertising promos. Talk about waste of natural resourses. The recyclers would be overwhelmed with all the old paper products that would be discarded. Who is going to pay this cost. Could part of this cost be levied on the businesses who did not have to change? This would be only fair. But what a logistical nightmare. Overlay is the ONLY way to go. Thank you.

[Riverman]

I would think the number of land lines is decreasing, most young people don't bother with one. When we all got cell phones we dumped our land line. This should free up some numbers.

We do now have four numbers instead of one. That doesn't help the cause.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by DowntownWpg

Say they do geographically split it that one region is Winnipeg, and the other region is 'everywhere else' in MB.

All of the current phone numbers outside of the city would be 'freed-up,' as those numbers would now have a different area code. They can then issue those numbers as new Winnipeg numbers when the need arises.

Say some farmer from around Winkler has a home phone number of 204-555-1234, when the change happens, his number becomes ###-555-1234 ("###" is the new area code). Meanwhile, 204-555-1234 is now free.

Of course, they'll probably not issue that number for a few years so the farmer can tell his contacts his new number, etc.

Every current number outside of the city could be issued within the city, eventually, under a geo split (I assume).

One area code for a city Winnipeg's size should be more than enough, I'm assuming. My quick google search tells me that an area code would have roughly eight million phone numbers.

Oh yeah... I'd rather Wpg gets to keep the 204, and outside of the city... they can get the funky new area code. Less people current phone numbers would be affected that way, I'm sure.

They won't do that. Businesses would FREAK as all of their clients would have to be updated about the number change.

They will just switch to 10 digit dialing and add a second area code to all of Manitoba.

I happened in Alberta last year when they added two more area codes to the province.

[Robert J]

I read in the paper that we will have an overlay. The number will probably be 431. It is to take effect in 2012 or 2013. It will be used primarily for cell phones.

[g35]

^^ This was made official today.

10-Digit Local Dialling on the Way for Manitoba in 2012

The CRTC announced Wednesday that the new 431 area code will take effect November 3, 2012. The CRTC also announced that as of October 20, 2012, 10-digit local dialling will be required for all local calls made in Manitoba. The transition to 10-digit dialling will begin on July 29, 2012, and will be gradually introduced over the following weeks

The new area code will be given to new telephone numbers only, not existing ones.

http://www.chrisd.ca/blog/26799/mani...phone-numbers/

[JayM]

I find this to be crazy that they just overlay the new area code over the 204. Why are they not changing the Winnipeg Area or Southern Manitoba to the new 431 or keeping the 204 and making Northern Manitoba have the 431. I know its not as easy as it sounds but to make a long distance call to someone in a city of only 3/4 million people sounds crazy.