This article belongs to the lore of Astyria.

Telephone numbers in Great Nortend

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Great Nortend telephone numbers
Location
CountryGreat Nortend
RegulatorGeneral Post Office
TypeOpen
NSN length8
Typical format0 XXXX XXXX
Access codes
Country calling code+37
International call prefix0 13
Trunk prefix0

The Telegraph Numbering Plan is the system which allocates telephone and telegraph numbers in Great Nortend which is administered by the General Post Office's Department of Telegraphy.

History

As the name suggests, the original Telegraph Numbering Plan was originally devised in the early 20th century after the Great Astyrian War by the General Post Office to provide for a more efficient method of directing telegraph messages for telegrammes. In the 1950s, a major revision was undertaken to unify the expanding telephone network with the telegraph network and to provide for a way of directing the increasing number of voice calls and telegraphs.

Format

Telephone

Normal telephone numbers are nine digits long and comprise a five digit area number and a three digit subscriber number. In order to dial a subscriber number in another region, the operator prefix 0 must be dialled first, followed by the area number and then the subscriber number. When dialling a subscriber in the same region, no trunk prefix or area number is necessary.

A subscriber number is a three digit number which may be any digit from 0 to 9, although 000009 are reserved . This provides 990 subscriber numbers per telephone exchange, and 7,920 possible numbers per region. Most regions have between 3,000 and 5,000 subscribers. The Numbering Plan allows for future expansion, by increasing the number of digits in a subscriber number.

The five digit area number is displayed in letters with one numeral and is is split into three portions, the first two letters being the county code, the next two letters being the specific region code, and the final numeral the exchange number. The region code is linked with the posting codes insofar as the posting region number is the same as the telephone region number, and the district number the same as the exchange number. Normally the county code is combined with the region code and the exchange number combined with the subscriber number.

For example, the postal district of Asham has the posting code Eamshire 271. Thus, Asham telephone exchange has the area number EAAS1, EA denoting Eamshire and AS denoting Asham postal region, and 1 denoting the exchange . This is dialled on the telephone 032271XXX and notated 0 EAAS 1XXX.

Non-geographic numbers are available for special services. They are dialled beginning with the operator prefix 0 followed by a two digit code. These codes are :

  • 10 XXX XXX: Local rate numbers
  • 11 XXX XXX: Technical numbers
  • 30 XXX XXX: Free call numbers
  • 48 XXX XXX: Government numbers
  • 50 XXX XXX: Concession rate numbers
  • 60 XXX XXX: National rate numbers
  • 81 XXX XXX: Premium rate level 1 numbers
  • 82 XXX XXX: Premium rate level 2 numbers
  • 83 XXX XXX: Premium rate level 3 numbers
  • 88 XXX XXX: Special numbers

Subscriber numbers for non-geographic numbers may be as short as three numbers. For example, dialling 0 10 520 connects to Langton's Bank. Most are, however, four digits or longer.

Simply dialling 0 and waiting will connect the caller to the operator, who can connect the call. A caller can also dial X and wait to call a particular exchange within his region. Similarly, an operator in another region can be called by dialling the area number and then the exchange number X. Dialling 000, or “triple-nought” the emergency number, will connect the caller to a specialised emergency call operator who can quickly arrange the appropriate emergency response.

Telegraph

Telegraph numbers, which are used to direct telegraphs and telefacsimiles and send telegrammes, are also incorporated with the Numbering Plan. Their numbers are indistinguishable from telephone numbers except that commercial telegraph subscribers have non-geographic numbers with the two digit code 84. For example, Langton's Bank's telegraph number is 0 84 520. Telegrammes and telefacsimiles which are sent through the GPO network are sent with a geographic number corresponding to the appropriate destination post office, or appropriate intermediate office. They comprise of the same four digit area number as with telephone numbers, and a subscriber number corresponding with the post office telegramme machine.

International access

The General Post Office does not currently allow most subscribers to directly dial international numbers. Rather, subscribers must dial 0 for the operator, and say the international telephone number. Some exchanges offer international subscriber dialling to select subscribers. In these cases, the international dialling prefix is 0 13.