Comments on: Idaho To Get Additional Area Code–986

By: john

john — Sun, 08 Nov 2015 04:54:01 +0000

you old folks… yea, copper land lines when you could hear a loved one from across the world and they sound like they were in the room…

By: Rod in SE Boise

Rod in SE Boise — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 19:53:09 +0000

986?

Why not 208.5

By: JJ

JJ — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 19:42:32 +0000

Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode (#175) where New York gets a new area code….. I can’t wait to flaunt my status as a 208 original to all the 986 newbies…presumably from California….

By: Clancy

Clancy — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 18:43:00 +0000

We used to dial 5 digits in McCall and that was even on a party line! New phones and technology make dialing more numbers a mute point. I think they made the right choice.

By: rabula

rabula — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 18:25:55 +0000

With phone-number portability and growth in wireless phones, “area” codes have less and less geographical relevance; folks take their area codes with them from state to state.

By: rabula

rabula — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 18:09:11 +0000

I don’t recall using area codes until the late-’50s. Of course, some of that time we had one of those phones where you turned the crank to call the operator who actually connected the call for you (& as an important repository of community information, sometimes listened in to hear if you needed additional “assistance”). Now NSA does the listening.

EDITOR NOTE–We double checked with the PUC before posting and they said the 1947 date is correct. It was assigned by the Feds (FCC), but it was used by operators because we didn’t have direct dialing until later.
You old folks no doubt dialed “0” for long distance calls and 411 for local information. Long Distance info was 555-1212. I assume you also called the phone company to get the correct time of day.

By: Easterner

Easterner — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 17:03:08 +0000

10 digits?
with the phone technology we have, with GPS and all, isn’t there some way to calculate the call as within the SAME area code unless otherwise noted.

punch in 7; push call – hey it works!
punch in 10- hey it works!

By: erico49

erico49 — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 14:42:52 +0000

“About 27 of 41 written comments the commission received favored the split option, but none of the comments addressed future trends that will eventually end seven-digit dialing.” I guess I have to wonder why take public comment at all. I realize that it’s not a vote by the public, but I bet they were hoping that the comments would support the solution they were going to implement all along. For the record, I think they got it right.

By: Cowpoke Twice Removed

Cowpoke Twice Removed — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 23:04:26 +0000

Seems like splitting the state on the time zone boundary would make so much sense. Why have a system where neighbors could have different area codes?
I find it amusing that cost to businesses is cited as a reason for the plan. By the time the area code is enacted what business wouldn’t have ordered new business cards and letterhead? Not many businesses will have the same advertising campaign going either. Web pages? Please!
I can’t imagine this is going to go over well with the general public but the annoyance probably wouldn’t show up for a few years. At that point it would be too late. Of course now that most use cell phones to auto-dial maybe it doesn’t matter.

EDITOR NOTE–It sounds logical to us…no one needs to change their number. Only new phones get the new area code.

By: Flyhead

Flyhead — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 22:35:02 +0000

Three more ways to fat-finger the dialing. I don’t use the phone that much and will adapt when the time comes.