705 area code

Posts: 13 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Jan 02, 2005 Posts: 13

I'm foaming at the mouth for voip service in my area code. Does anyone know of a current provider offering the 705 area code?

Patiently waiting, Evil or Very Mad

-Bill

Posts: 336 · Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2005 12:43 am Post subject:

Foaming at the mouth - you must be very angry.

Primus Canada offers the widest range of area codes at this time. Unfortunately, not even Primus offers this Ontario area code 705.

Eventually Vonage should start offering it. You would have to call them to see if they plan on offering it.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Mar 09, 2005 Posts: 2

I think it **** that 705 hasn't been covered yet. Think of the business they're missing out on.

I currently work for a governmental agency in the IT and Communications sector and for the last few months we were looking at moving to VoIP for the entire Northern Ontario District. Eventually we had to shut down the project because there isn't anyone who offers the service for the 705 area code which is the LARGEST AREA CODE IN THE WORLD. Just to illustrate this point, here are some major cities covered by the 705 area code: Barrie, Peterborough, Owen Sound, Oshawa, North Bay, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Parry Sound, Orillia...... and don't foget about all the small towns in between this huge area. I honestly believe that VoIP providers are missing out on a huge market. Granted it makes sense to focus on the large commercial areas first, but in all fairness who's further apart? Someone in Toronto calling someone in Markham (905, 416, 647 that's right, three area codes within a hundred km) or someone trying to call from Timmins to Peterborough (same area code, approx. 1000km).

On a personal note, I run various courses relating to internet security and computer programming and have had countless students and peers ask about VoIP and I can feel their disappointment when I inform them that I've been looking into 705 coverage for over 12 months now and still no luck.

A quick side note here though, there are numerous local ISP's that will offer VoIP services but only for local calls. Also, I have looked into signing on with Primus but their services costs are ridiculous and the fact that they're charging $0.035/min turned me right off. Why would i pay a per minute fee plus a monthly fee of 30 bucks plus an extra charge for any other service (VM, call display, etc)????

My technological background has done nothing but fuel my desire to hurry up and get my VoIP phone. I've been following the development of the technology since 2001. Reading all the court cases in the US relating to TelCo vs VoIP with an extereme interest and all it makes me do is pull my hair and scream "WHEN???? WHEN WILL THE 705'ers GET A CHANCE???"

Thanks for listening to my rant and I hope that sooner or later these companies get their acts in gear and look to the north for business.

kl365

Posts: 508 · Posted: Wed Mar 09, 2005 6:42 pm Post subject:

I got a letter last month with this, if it does anything for y.. LoL..

Quote:

By the end of this year, you should be able to get a local number with Vonage Canada in virtually every major Canadian city," said Bill Rainey, President, Vonage Canada.

that is pretty rediculous that no-one offers service in 705.. it is a huge area code, with many cities.. all I can say is that if you make a lot of long distance calls you could get a couple lines to use for outgoing calls, and some incomming if there are customers in any other area.... atleast yo'd cut your outgoing LD rates down.. but the CID would be all wacked out..

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Apr 12, 2005 Posts: 1

Sprint now offers VOIP service out of Barrie in Area Code 705 and failing that option you can use a service that is available in many Northern Ontario communities Called talknet.ca

Posts: 188 · Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 10:07 pm Post subject:

kl365 wrote:

Is the LARGEST AREA CODE IN THE WORLD.
kl365

By what standard is 705 larger? If you are referring to geography, 867 is much larger than 705. Confused

There are still many available CO codes available in 705 as well (check out www.cnac.ca). The only important measure of an area code is number of potential customers. On that point, I agree that Vonage is missing an opportunity by not offering numbers in your area code due to the number of potential customers. I would write each provider and get everyone that you know to do the same. Another alternative would be to sign up for the service anyway with the foreign exchange number of your choice. This would put you on the "list", if there is a list for your region. Perhaps if enough people subscribe in your area, Vonage will roll out local numbers in your area code. The problem for the 705 area code would be which rate centre would they offer local numbers from first? Many "705ers" would still be left out as you can't call locally between all the rate centres in the 705 area code. For example, some have complained that the only rate centres available in the 519 area code are London and Kitchener/Waterloo. What about Windsor?

Anyway, I believe that Vonage only offers numbers in rate centres where GT Group Telecom has numbers. My check of CNAC doesn't show any GT switches in the 705 area code at all so I think that you are out of luck for now. The interesting thing about GT is that they are owned by................................................wait for it......................Bell Canada! Yikes! Bell then turned around and sold the GT accounts in Ontario and everything east of Ontario to Sprint Canada (Call Net). I don't know how this affects Vonage's relationship with GT as this transaction only took place late last year. Perhaps Vonage will purchase numbers from Call Net in the future for the east. Call Net does have two COs in Barrie. So there might be hope for you in the future if you live in Barrie's local calling area.

Posts: 182 · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 10:27 am Post subject:

705 is probably down the list. There are quite a few area codes that have larger cities than 705 has (306 - Regina and Saskatoon; 709 - St. John's; 506 - Moncton and Saint John). Further, there are a lot of decent-sized cities (Kelowna, BC; Lethbridge, Red Deer, and Medicine Hat, AB; surely more further east) that don't have VoIP exchanges, either, even though their area codes are serviced in larger cities. I would think it'll be a little while for 705, unfortunately.

Posts: 188 · Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 10:38 am Post subject:

Yep, there isn't even relief planning under way for the 705 area code right now. I've seen the comment about the 705 area code being the largest in this forum before but it just ain't true, by any standard. No offence to the 705ers, I think that they should have service. I think that it is an issue of perception. Many 705ers reside near the 416/647 area code.

Posts: 508 · Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 9:48 am Post subject:

thats like 905 most of it is close enough to Toronto that they are in the local calling area for T.O.

and 519 is so spaced out, I am surprised there isn't a Windsor exchange tho. I'm happy with my London one, since I'm 20 mins from London.. and everyone I know can call London locally.

705 is huge, but even if they did offer some service there, what cities will they pick? Barrie and North Bay, well, even then, most ppl will still be LD..

Posts: 5 · New Forum Member Joined: May 12, 2005 Posts: 5

I am in Barrie and have a 416 Vonage number. I can wait for 705 to be offered as I call LD more then local. Plus with the basic plan of 500 mins LD included I only used about half las tmonth so going from bell @ $100/ month avg to $20 is a good thing! Some local people I talk to don't like the LD charge to much but hey IM me instead then. Wink