New Area Code 343 for Ottawa

[RTWAP]

Originally Posted by Dado

Ya, I didn't get that reasoning either. I'm sure there are plenty of homes in the rural areas that have had the same number for 40 years whose residents wouldn't be too happy about having to give them up. It's just more grumble-worthy fodder for complaining about being oppressed by Ottawa.

It would have made more sense, when you come down to it, for urban Ottawa to get the new area code and to cease handing out 613 numbers in urban Ottawa so as to maximize their life elsewhere since there's not really a compelling case to hand out 343 numbers to anyone outside Ottawa's urban boundary given that most of the growth in phone numbers is from Ottawa and not the rest of the area code.

Good idea.

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

You have encapsulated perfectly Lowell's audience.

Just because they complain a lot doesn't mean all of their complaints are unreasonable or unfounded.

[Dado]

I hadn't intended to encapsulate Lowell's audience, and I doubt his entire audience consists of ruralites who've inhabited their houses for 40 odd years or more...

I just don't think there's anything to be gained in needling people elsewhere in Eastern Ontario by imposing a new area code on them when the cause of the need for a new area code is our own growth. It's unfair and unreasonable and, like I said, just provides fodder for an anti-urban Ottawa agenda. Urban dwellers are going to be far more accepting of a new area code, particularly if many are newcomers to the city anyway and won't know any different.

[eternallyme]

They considered the concentrated overlay (343 only in Ottawa, use the remaining 613 numbers elsewhere) and rejected it, since growth in the outlying areas is enough that 343 would have to be expanded anyway within a few years.

[RTWAP]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

They considered the concentrated overlay (343 only in Ottawa, use the remaining 613 numbers elsewhere) and rejected it, since growth in the outlying areas is enough that 343 would have to be expanded anyway within a few years.

Sounds like they could have done it if they'd started a few years ago. But at the end of the day they would still need to support both area codes in both geographies.

Another factor could be that they don't have many unused branch numbers (or whatever they call them). I think the way the land lines are set up, the 613-XXX-0000 to 613-XXX-9999 is supposed to be all in the same area. Now that they have number portability for cellphones that might not be the case for landlines either.

Meh. Not important enough to figure out.

[Norman Bates]

Originally Posted by RTWAP

Another factor could be that they don't have many unused branch numbers (or whatever they call them). I think the way the land lines are set up, the 613-XXX-0000 to 613-XXX-9999 is supposed to be all in the same area.

These three digit groupings are called telephone exchange numbers.

[RTWAP]

Originally Posted by Norman Bates

These three digit groupings are called telephone exchange numbers.

Thanks.

[Cre47]

Originally Posted by eternallyme

819 will likely add a new code as well early in the next decade.

Yep 873 will start in September 2012

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