Seven-digit phone numbers by 1992

Press, 7 August 1989, Page 32

Seven-digit phone numbers by 1992

All telephone numbers will have seven digits by the end of 1992 and the number of STD codes will be reduced from about 70 to five, said the managing director of Telecom South, Mr Lance McKechie. The changes were intended to simplify the system and provide capacity for growth. They were not connected with any tariff change. The new STD codes would follow the boundaries of Telecom regional operating companies. For the whole of the South Island the STD code would be 03. This change would be made as individual areas changed to seven digits, the first being parts of Otago and Dunedin later this year, he said. In Christchurch, all existing six-digit numbers will gain a 3 at the beginning; for example; 595-000 will become 359-5000.

Where possible local prefixes will be added to smaller numbers, so that Sumner (26) 6933 will become 326-6933. The changes would be implemented gradually in the next four years and where possible would be timed to coincide with the issuing of new telephone directories, Mr McKechie said. Parts of Wellington and - Auckland already had seven-digit numbers. The changes were being introduced to allow competitors access to Telecom’s network. Telecom envisaged that no further digit changes would be needed for another 20 years. Where possible customers would retain their existing numbers and additional digits would be added in front. In. most cases, the additions would be the existing STD codes, Mr McKechie said.