Phone question about 10-digit dialing + caller ID

[Ichinisan]

Atlanta has the largest local calling area in the world. It includes area codes 770, 404, 678, 470 and parts of 706 and we have to dial 10-digits for all local calls.

An out-of-town friend tells me his cordless home phone has caller ID built-in on the handset. At first, it would only show 7 digits on the caller ID whenever he gets a call from a 770 number. The call-back option would not work because it was only dialing 7 digits.

He found the 10-digit dial setting, so now it shows the full 10 digits and allows him to redial from the caller ID...but only for 770 numbers. It seems that the handset assumes 678/404/etc are long-distance and shows "1" before the number: "1 (XXX) XXX-XXXX"
--The call-back function does not work for those numbers.

I haven't touched a landline phone in about 8 years, and I don't recall if they would have an option to define multiple local area codes. Does anyone have a phone with this capability?

I've tried to get him to tell me the brand and model over email, but I haven't gotten anything yet.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Does it do it with just that phone? There may be a setting to define the local area codes, otherwise it thinks the others are long distance and just puts the 1 by default. Is his own phone number on 770 as well? It could be simply using his own NPA (area code) as default for local and treats everything else long distance. He'd have to check the phone's manual or check online to see how it works.

We recently got 10 digit dialing here as well, so I imagine this is something that's semi common so modern phones should be able to account for it. We only have one local NPA though so I can't test. I think they did it so they can be ready if ever they add a new one.

 

[jagec]

The solution is to stop using a landline.

 

[DeviousTrap]

Well why doesn't dialing with the 1 work? Most phone companies should be have no problem routing the call either way, it doesnt matter if it's within your local calling area or not.

 

[TridenT]

The solution is to stop using a landline.

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[HardcoreRobot]

limited options are to be expected using outdated technology

 

[Possessed Freak]

Well why doesn't dialing with the 1 work? Most phone companies should be have no problem routing the call either way, it doesnt matter if it's within your local calling area or not.

It really does depend. At work, our phone company routes calls that are placed with a 1 prefix out their long distance carrier *AS A SERVICE*. I can theoretically test my long distance carrier by calling the POTS line we have on site.

Internally, on my PBX, I trim out the 1's for the area codes and exchanges that are actually local calls so they go out as 10 digit dialing.

 

[CZroe]

I remember this causing a huge problem with our XBAND videogame modem service in the mid '90s. We couldn't connect to anyone with the local-only plan despite living in the world's largest local calling area! I'm glad they finally fixed it after we called.

Man, I loved those instant late-night SNES Killer Instinct match ups with random strangers.

Well why doesn't dialing with the 1 work? Most phone companies should be have no problem routing the call either way, it doesnt matter if it's within your local calling area or not.

Probably as a kind of "pay gate" to distinguish long-distance 706 numbers and so that there aren't a ton of other unintentional long distance calls from miss-dials.

 

[acheron]

The solution is to stop using a landline.

Landline reliability >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cell phone reliability

If you don't care, then fine, but it's hardly a stupid decision or whatever.

 

[jagec]

Landline reliability >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> cell phone reliability

If you don't care, then fine, but it's hardly a stupid decision or whatever.

This is true, but considering that they charge almost as much as a cellphone plan and often don't include simple things like Caller ID, calls outside your area code, and other standard features of cellphones, it seems hardly worth it just for that .00000001% chance that you'll have to 911 from your house and the cell towers are down.

If you have to pick one or the other, the cellphone is much more likely to be functional and WITH you in an emergency. You can improve the cellphone reliability by keeping a second phone with no plan (on a different network) charged and waiting at home.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

Just work for them and get it for free. I do.

 

[AustinInDallas]

whats long distance?