Hello Dale.

08 May 06 23:47, you wrote to me:


 DS> It seems that in your country, the cell phone industry started out
 DS> with a standard unique number for cell phones to support the idea of
 DS> making caller pay.

From the beginning, some fifty yeras ago when they weren't called cell
phones, but "mobile phone" and were so big and heavy that one
needed the entire trunk of a car to move them around plus an extra dynamo
to power it, they have been aassigned a special number range.

I think this was for technical reasons rather than with the predefined idea
of making the caller pay.

With the older systems, it would have been next to impossible to have a
"mobile phone" fit in the normal fixed line number scheme. One
can not connect a mobile phone to the older mechanical exchanges. The only
way was to have a completely seperate network for the mobile phones and
connect them at some point. It is logical to assign a special number range
to that interconnection point.

With the newer electronis exchanges, it ks no problem I suppose, but with
the older mechanical exchanges, belding them in in the normal fixed line
numbering plan was impossible. And although there were few and they were
expensive we did have mobile phones when most landline exchanges were still
of the mechanical type.

Other than that, a special number range for non location bound use make
perfect sense to me. A cell phone does not have a fixed location, so why
put it in an area code associated with a specific location?

Well, I guess it is just what you are used too. Here we grew up with the
idea that fixed numbers are for fixed locations and that area codes reflect
the actual location. Services not fitting that pattern are assigned a
special number range.

Note of interest: Recently the telecommunications overseeers ordered
VoipBuster to return geographical numbers issued to people not living in
the area code associated with the number to be returned. geographical
numbers  may only be assigned to people actually living in the area.


Note of interest 2: This wasn't always so strict. In my grandparetnts
pre-WWII hotel in Oosterbeek there were two public phones. One was conneted
to the local exchange, Oosterbeek, the other was connected to the exchange
in the adjoining bigger city: Arnhem. This allowed the guests to make local
calls to "the city".


http://www.vlist.org/tanna/schoonoord.jpg

And what was left after the war:

http://www.vlist.org/tanna/schoonoord2.jpg

 DS>    It seems that they have maintained that, but I note that according
 DS> to Ward, the "standard" is not a European standard.

Indeed, On the European level things become a bit messy. AFAIK all European
countries have special ranges for cell phones, but they differ from country
to country and of course I do not know them all. I just recently learned
how to recognise a Belgian cell phone number from Ward's messages here.

 MVDV>> But over here that is not the case. Cell phone number are
 MVDV>> very recognisable.

 DS>    Not here.

I understand.

And as I wrote, on the European level thing get a bit messy. Very messy
really. For some countries there ius an extra charge if the destination is
a cell phone, for some there is not. And it differs from provider tyo
provider. F.e. My present provider charges 6 ct/min for a call to a fixed
line in Belgium. For a call to a belgian cell phone thet charge an extra 25
ct/min.  A call to a German cell phone however costs the same as a call to
a German fixed line: 6 ct/min.

My previous provider charges extra for the German cell phone too. Add to
that that the rates chage al,most daily and the mess is complete.

I make very few international calls, so for me it is not an issue, but for
people who make many international calls this could be different.

An interesting note is that in the beginning of the cell phone boom, there
was no extra charge to international cell phone calls. And as cell phone
calls were more than twice asexpensive that intercontintal fixed lie calls
plus that incoming calls are free for cell phones this is what transpired:

There was this Telegroup Global Access GSM Callback thing. I had a phone
number in the US. 15157305351. I called that number, let it ring once and
hung up. The system called me back on my cell phone and when I answered I
got a dial tone. I could then dial any number in the world.

So no charges to my cell phone number. the initial call was not answered
and the next one was incoming, no charge. Telegroup charged me of course,
but what they charged was less than calling my neighbour across the street
driectly wih my cell phone.

There was a similar service in Germany.

Of course it didn't last. When the phone companies found out about these
loopholes that *were on their dime* they stopped it by charging whoever
they got the call from for the interconnection fee they have to pay to the
cell phone provider to put the call through.

It might be interesting for you to find out if you would have to pAy extra
for a call to a cell phone in The Netherlands. You may be in for a
Surprise...

[..]


 MVDV>> So the cell phone company does not make much money on you. The

 DS>    Nope -- the balance sheet is on my side:-}}



Michiel

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