New area code coming to Manitoba

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/manitoba-outgrows-area-code-90919344.html

10 digit dialing.

I would like to see them designate the new area code for mobile phones and leave 204 as land lines.

But will the new area code be.... World Class?

I heard they were considering giving all new numbers the new area code. With that methodology neighbours could have the exact same phone number but different area codes. Personally I'd prefer they kept Winnipeg 204 and the rest of Manitoba at 431. Or vice versa if that places peoples noses outta joint...

I have to laff at all these folks with the fancy schmancy phones who are scared of having to update their contacts....it has been ten digit dialing in Calgary for quite sometime and been that way in the twin cities for at least six or seven years and in and around LA county for about ten.....Manhattan has more than one area code now and that is due more to cell phone usage....

People don't like change MizP. But if change can be simplified it is less problematic. The telephone companies need to keep advertising this initiative ad nauseam. That way when the time comes fewer peeps will be unprepared.

Now why do i keep thinking about people needing to change their underwear and not freaking out about that? hehehehehe

Its should be 204 for the province and 431 (what a stupid code btw) for the city. All people in rural areas are accustomed to dialing 204 when calling people.

I really don't understand how a province of 1.3 million (?) has reached 1 million telephone numbers.

wpg_idiot wrote:Its should be 204 for the province and 431 (what a stupid code btw) for the city. All people in rural areas are accustomed to dialing 204 when calling people.

I really don't understand how a province of 1.3 million (?) has reached 1 million telephone numbers.

one has to wonder, how many of those numbers are Winnipeg numbers only and will make us hit the mark again fairly quickly?

But yeah I really cant see this working any other way then Winnipeg V rest of Manitoba.

winnipegceilingcat wrote:But will the new area code be.... World Class?

No, it will make it.... Necessary.
Ten digit dialing has been manditory in Alberta since September 2008. All through that summer, they did advertise this change coming. And for a short period after the initiation, if you dialed seven digits, there would be a message reminding people to dial ten digits, and the call would still go through, but only for a few months, then you had to dial again. People really didn't b1tch and complain about it too much. It was needed, and people adapted.

EdWin wrote:

winnipegceilingcat wrote:But will the new area code be.... World Class?

No, it will make it.... Necessary.
Ten digit dialing has been manditory in Alberta since September 2008. All through that summer, they did advertise this change coming. And for a short period after the initiation, if you dialed seven digits, there would be a message reminding people to dial ten digits, and the call would still go through, but only for a few months, then you had to dial again. People really didn't b1tch and complain about it too much. It was needed, and people adapted.

y'all could have just nuked Calgary and not had to change

wpg_idiot wrote:I really don't understand how a province of 1.3 million (?) has reached 1 million telephone numbers.

Do you have a land line, cell phone, work number?

Take a family of 4.

- One land line
- Two work lines for the parents
- Four cell phones

It adds up quick.

Isn;t way more then 1 Million??

9,999,999

like 10 million?
granted you lose alot of those because some small towns dont use close to their 10K numbers, and then there are Gov only area codes and such.. but still.. closer to 10million then 1 million no?

Miz point wrote:I have to laff at all these folks with the fancy schmancy phones who are scared of having to update their contacts....it has been ten digit dialing in Calgary for quite sometime and been that way in the twin cities for at least six or seven years and in and around LA county for about ten.....Manhattan has more than one area code now and that is due more to cell phone usage....

Ummm...Manhattan has had more than 1 area code for AT LEAST 10 years.

Plus there are locked prefixes.

COW (for example) all have the same prefix for the first 3-digits
RCMP - same thing
Military bases
Hydro

All reserved prefixes (and then up to 9999 choices for the suffix)

And there are prefixes you can't use either (like 555 and 411)

Plus, the prefix can't start with a 1 or a 0.

For MOST people these days, it won't effect them too much.

Cell phones store 10-digits anyway, and even dial "1" if required for long-distance.

Those who have landlines can store 10-digits into their cordless phones too, so they just select the name off the list.

About the only ones this will REALLY affect are the cold-calling telemarketers...so let's GO FOR IT!!!

So the limitations are down to specific things

AGEsAces wrote:

Miz point wrote:I have to laff at all these folks with the fancy schmancy phones who are scared of having to update their contacts....it has been ten digit dialing in Calgary for quite sometime and been that way in the twin cities for at least six or seven years and in and around LA county for about ten.....Manhattan has more than one area code now and that is due more to cell phone usage....

Ummm...Manhattan has had more than 1 area code for AT LEAST 10 years.

Yes, I know that....just did not specify years.....I really do not see why all the fuss here about a change that is inevitable. Must have been a slow news day.

actually...MOST major cities in the US have more than 1 area code.

So many of you damned 'mericans.......hahahahah. Makes me wonder now just how many folks are still using rotary dial?

quite a few rural communities can...but most major US cities you can't even use it if you wanted to.

the systems have all been "upgraded", so rotary dialing can't be used.

i think in Canada it is a requirement that rotary dials must still be supported

10 Local Digit dialing is coming to Manitoba next July

http://www.shaw.ca/areacodes/
What's happening
As our population continues to grow and the use of communication devices such as cellular phones increases, an additional area code is being introduced in Manitoba to make room for new numbers. In order to accommodate this growth, there is a two-phased solution:



This new area code will coexist with the current code and will cover the same geographic area. The new area code can be introduced only once 10-digit local dialing has been implemented. The same phone number can then exist in each of the area codes.

The new area code will be given to new numbers only; existing numbers and area code stay the same. Please note that regardless of where you reside, you may be given a number with the new area code when applying for a new number.


The new way to dial


You don’t need to do anything right now. Starting July 29, 2012, 10-digit dialing will be available. At that point, you can start reprogramming all your communication devices in advance. Until November 3, 2012, you will be able to dial either 7 or 10 digits to dial locally.

The official conversion date of the new dialing system is November 3, 2012. At this time, data transmission will be interrupted if you don't dial the required 10 digits.


What will stay the same?

• Your existing phone number
  
• Geographic boundaries that determine long distance
  
• All 3-digit numbers, including 211, 311, 411, 611, 811, 911 and emergency service (where applicable)
  

How will this affect you?


Take a minute to look over this checklist to make sure you're prepared for 10-digit dialing.

See the residential checklist


Are you a business owner?


Remember to add the area code to all your business-based communication devices and other materials.

See the business checklist

This new area code will coexist with the current code and will cover the same geographic area. The new area code can be introduced only once 10-digit local dialing has been implemented. The same phone number can then exist in each of the area codes.

How totally asinine is this? The deep thinkers can't seem to help themselves can they? What logic could have possibly been followed to implement a system that does not follow some intuitive methodology?

Icewholes...

grumpy old man wrote:

This new area code will coexist with the current code and will cover the same geographic area. The new area code can be introduced only once 10-digit local dialing has been implemented. The same phone number can then exist in each of the area codes.

How totally asinine is this? The deep thinkers can't seem to help themselves can they? What logic could have possibly been followed to implement a system that does not follow some intuitive methodology?

Icewholes...

What intuitive methodology would you suggest?

Especially in a province where 75% of the population lives within a single calling area.

Manitoba outside Winnipeg = one code. Winnipeg = another code. Most jurisdictions I am familiar with at least tried common sense first. Even your beloved Alberta.

Are you okay with not even trying an intuitive process?

not very intuitive in that the outside one would be sitting there empty and the one inside winnipeg would fill up very fast.

seems more intuitive to me that everyone right now gets to keep their old numbers. (ie 204-2sdfsfsdf) and not have to change one lick of anything or let anyone know what their new number is.