7 Digit Dialing

[drichter12]

Here is a question for eveyone. We have a customer with multiple offices across the country and all but one of their locations are still 7 digit dialing for local. They want a "Enterprise" dialing plan but do not wish to convert all locations to 10 digit dialing which makes the task a real patchwork mess. Any suggestions on how to sell them on the idea of converting to 10 digit across the board? Is there any kind of timeline from the FCC/NANPA to force cities with 7 digit dialing to convert to 10? Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,

Dale

 

[donb01]

I would push them to go with 10-digit dialing, it's coming faster than you think. Yeah we've been hearing it for years, but there are a lot of areas already there and quite a few coming up on the slate in the next few years.

Here is a spreadsheet that gives you some idea of what is coming in the next 1 - 3 years. Keep in mind this thing is updated at least quarterly if not monthly.

http://www.nanpa.com/reports/NPA_Relief_Activity_Status_Report_070109.xls

The way it is right now, all cell phone users regardless of location should already be putting all numbers into their phones as 10-digits. This not only applies to text messaging, but to assure you can place calls to people in your address book regardless of where you are.

The reality is that we might as well get used to it because it is coming, and we are already way behind Europe in the implementation of it.

My suggestion would be to do exactly what the phone companies are doing. Set up the dialing plan on the switch so that it supports both 7 and 10-digit dialing and give them a cutoff date maybe 6 - 9 months into the future. Build a company-wide campaign to educate the staff on the new procedures - make games and contests out of it or catchy jingles, etc... For example, in the late 90's when our area code 414 was split into 414, 262 and 920, AT&T used the jingle "920 so you can grow" to promote the change. We used it to in a lot of our internal communications, etc. Encourage people to program speed dials for frequently called numbers.

On the date you have set aside for the switch just remove the 7-digit dial strings from the dialing plan on the system and you will be set to go.

This really won't have anything to do with your internal dialing plan. If you are using 4-digit extensions nationwide the phone company will still send you 4-digits after the change, so there is nothing to worry about there.

I just sent out a memo to our organization last week telling them it's going to be mandatory in my part of WI in 2012, and northern WI will be mandatory in 2010 already. I suggested our marketing folks be sure to always publish the full number, and to check their faxes and other dialers.

Everything you need to know about the progress of the sweep across the nantion is available on that NANPA website if you look in the right place.

 

[Dexman]

Here in Massachusetts, 10 digit dialing has been the norm since the early 90's when it was decided to go with an area code "overlay" in area codes 617, 781, 508 & 978 as opposed to a "split".

If it ain't broke, I haven't fixed it yet.

 

[DanCarroll]

Massachusetts is still 7 digit dialing in the western part of the state, where the rest of the state and cell phones are 10 digit dialing. Just to add to the confusion.

 

[Dexman]

That's right. LATA 126 (area code 413) hasn't undergone any expansions like LATA 128 (the rest of the state).

If it ain't broke, I haven't fixed it yet.

 

[SYQUEST]

It's not confusion... It's a matter of paying attention.

It is typically only those NPAs that are Overlays that have mandatory 10D or 1+10D with some minor exceptions. All the others may have permissive 10D or 1+10D in effect. In California the permissive 1+10D has been in effect since 1995.

The NANPA web site has a list of all the Dialing Plans by NPA, so you can see who has what format.

....JIM....