Patrick Townson asked:
Most BOCs and LECs in the US and Canada still do offer Speed-8 and Speed-30. It is/was NOT speed-32.
NO, you've reversed it for both.
Speed-8 is used by dialing any single "N" digit 2-thru-9, pre- programmed with a specific full telephone number, and then either waiting for a 3-to-5 second post-dial-delay time-out, or if using DTMF, keying the '#' (pound) button AFTER the single "N" digit.
Speed-30 is used by dialing any two-digit code from 20 through 49, pre-programmed with a specific full telephone number, and then either waiting for the post-dial-delay time-out, or touch-tone keying the '#' button AFTER the two-digit code was entered.
To take advantage of the trailing '#' (POUND) button, you had to be a "subscribed" touchtone customer, though.
There were some Centrex and PBX systems, and even some specialty "package" deals for single and small multi-line groups where the speed-dialing or "rapid-dial" feature did (does) use a '#' (pound) BEFORE the one/two digit speed dial code, but those are only exceptions.
The common practice was (still is) 'N'(#) with Speed-8, and 'NX'(#) for Speed-30; where 'N' by itself is any digit 2 through 9, and 'NX' is a two-digit code from 20 through 49.
My observation is that many BOCs and LECs are trying to eliminate or reduce promotions for Speed-8. Since you can get over three-times as many central-office memory slots with Speed-30, and telco can charge more as well, most telcos would prefer the customer to get "30" over "8". Most (though not necessarily all) BOCs and LECs can easily offer a single customer BOTH Speed-8 AND Speed-30 on the same line. There's no network or switch programming conflict with having both on the same line!
I can't see anyone getting or using "Speed-8/30" as such on a cellphone (although I think it is possible, although necessariy 8 or
30 coded entries -- even those PBX and Centrex, and single/multi-line packaged features described above don't necessarily use the 8/30 "convention"), since as you mention that you can do all kinds of things to save dialed numbers in a cellphone, i.e., the cellphone's own personal directory.And these days, modern landline phones have memory slots and "hot" buttons, etc. But if you have several phones at home all on the same line that are "plain Jane" Western Electric 500 or 2500 sets, telco switch-based Speed-8 or 30 can be an attractive option. And ALL phones will use the same coded "line-up", rather than having several individual phones to program, and try to program all of them identically.