On 16 Nov, 12:55, JohnW wrote:
On Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:05:15 -0000, Adrian

wrote:

The implication is that one can dial
222 1234 within a notional STD code of "0207" AND expect to be
connected. I have heard that there are a handful of exchanges within
London were that does work. However the standard is now eight digit
local numbers within London. Dialing eight digits within STD code
"020" will always work.

Not if the number is of the form: 020 0123 4567. There are
some numbers issued to network service providers, for example,
in the 020 0... range that can only be dialled as 11 digits,
even from within the 020 area. The recommendation is for them
not to use the (020) 0... format when writing the number,
since this indicates optional numbers

I thought all the London exchanges accepting 7 digits for
local routing had been fixed, since how are they to know if
the number being dialled is 7 or 8 digits? (123 4567 or 1234
5678) We don't use time-outs.


If it did work, and I don't know if it does, it would presumably only
work if the first number was one that no 8-digit numbers currently
start with. So maybe 222 1234, for example, if there are no 8-digit
numbers beginning with 2 (yet).

The system never knows whether a number beginning with 0 is 11 digits
or some unknowable number of digits in a foreign number until the
second 0 is dialled*, so obviously numbers can be resolved as further
digits are dialled.

*Funny how we say dialled. I wonder when anyone last did that.