800 and 310 numbers

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 02, 2005 Posts: 2

I have been using Vonage for my business for the last year, so far, apart from some minor voice mail hiccups and my ISP's periodic downtime, it has proven itself as a viable alternative to the conventional phone company. I have only one complaint: I have discovered that some 800 numbers will not work, as they show up with a caller ID area code from New Jersey, and some Canadian 800 (or 866) numbers do not permit calls from the US. It is particularly annoying when calling FEDEX or UPS, as they use the area code to route to a call centre. Is this going to change at any time? The call should reflect the originating area code. I found that 310-xxxxx numbers are also non-functional. These are primarily used to route calls within a city, common users are pizza parlours and the like. We discovered this one when working late one night.
Comments?

Posts: 1424 · Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 6:25 pm Post subject:

It has been discussed previously as US regional 800 numbers do not work either.

There has been a rumor floated on the forum that Canadian 800 numbers will be available sooner than later.

The 310 numbers were cool, but they face quite a few technical issues from Voip implementations, virtual numbers and SoftPhones. Fortunately many businesses that use 310 numbers also have or will implement on-line ordering which should be convenient for most broadband subscribers.

In the distant future Voip calls will be automatically routed based on information about the user that will be transmitted as meta-data with the call. For example the user's geographic information could be roughly determined using an IP query. A company could have a Voip server that directed calls to a single number to the correct location based on that information thus duplicating the 310 functionality without requiring a specific prefix. There would still be issues with users who are routing their calls via a VPN or who are intentionally suppressing their current geographic location, but those could be handled via an automated phone tree.

In the meantime, the forum has been able to provide some non-toll free alternative numbers in difficult cases.

Posts: 508 · Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2005 9:43 am Post subject:

for all those companies with 310 numbers there are usually a local number printed in teh phone book, Pizza Hut is one that was discussed here back a few months.. those numbers don't work from cell phones either..

and for 800 numbers, most of them will have a 'local' number too, usually Toronto, sometimes other cities throughout the country, they can be reached with Vonage, and you dont' pay LD so it doesn't matter if you're calling accross the country..

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 02, 2005 Posts: 2

I have heard this rhetoric about 'everyone with an 800 number has a regular number as well' many times before. The fact of the matter is that the federal government has ONLY 800 numbers published for some departments, and when you are an employer you need have to have frequent contact. The ONLY way to contact the phone company is with a 310 number, under ideal conditions this should not be necessary at all, but since we have to have cell phones in order to make up for the deficiencies, we have to resort to them and occasional contact with them is required.
The fix to the 800 number problem is not too complicated:- it is not a matter of determining where geographically a station is located and substituting the appropriate area code, each phone does have a number that is representative of its originating area code. If this number were to be propaged at the originating caller ID instead of the physical area code where the call is injected into the phone system, the problem should be alleviated. Any class 4 toll switch should be able to handle it.