Delay in Reaching Operator; 762 and 424 NPAs

Jayson Smith wrote (in Yahoo-Central Office, last week):

Hello, > On our Bellsouth lines, 411 for Directory Assistance waits a few > seconds then gives a reorder. It's been like that since at least > Monday afternoon. You'd think they could reroute DA calls somewhere > else by now. Also, dialing 0 for the operator menu gets a recording > I've never heard before. There's a set of SIT tones, then it says > "We're sorry. Due to heavy calling, the operator will be delayed in > assisting you. If your call is urgent, stay on the line, and an > operator will answer as soon as possible." This recording is > repeated twice, then rings through. Someone should probably get a > recording of this for historical preservation.

I can remember back in the 1970s era (pre-divestiture, of course), that during storms, floods, etc., dialing '0' for SCBell/AT&T Operator Service (using TSPS back then), if there was heavy calling, you'd get the same type of recording.

New Orleans was one of the first places to have TSPS (Traffic Service Position System) automation for Operator Servvice, back around 1970 or so. But automation for operator type services even goes back to the early 1960s with TSP (Traffic Service Position) and even late 1950s with PPCS (Person to Person Card Special) in some parts of the midwest and northeast.

As for NPA 762, I understand that the 762-222-7777 test number now returns billing/answer supervision. It originally did NOT do such. And for those who don't know, NANPA has relased a new Planning Letter, this one regarding that NPA 424 WILL overlay NPA 310 in so.California (barring any further court action pending).

The test number is to be 424-424-0424, not the originally intended

424-654 number (which DID work back in 1999 and for several years thereafter). I thought that maybe the test number might be changed to 424-424-0424, since the original test number in 2000 (which did work for some time) of 951-800-0951 was changed to 951-951-0951 when 951 actually did split from 909 in so.Cal back in 2004.

mjc markjcuccia at yahoo dot com