NAL telephone system

An explanation of the telephone system in the NAL.

Telephone companies

Within each province, the provincial government is responsible for telephone number allocation. Telephone companies are generally private but in any one area there is a monopoly. If they are private they are contracted by the provincial government. American Telecom used to run a monopoly across the phone networks (Unlike in our world's AT&T, it was also state-owned. It was privatised rather than deregulated). AT still exists and operates much of the system's network. This happened in 1961 when a Progressive Conservative administration ousted the previous Conservative Democrat system. The companies are regulated by Oftel, or the OFfice for standards in TELecommunications.

Dialling

The area codes are 3 digits long and all start with a 0. Area codes for phoning landline phones have numbers from 011-039; 040-049 is for mobile phones, 050-059 is for special rates and phoning 060-069 is for premium rates.

Local area numbers are 8 digits long. If someone in Alba Nuadh wanted to phone someone else in Alba Nuadh with phone number 4539-0001, they would phone that number directly.

The long distance numbers are 10 digits long. To call someone in, say, Virginia with number 726-0-0001 they would have to dial 00272600001. Phone numbers are generally written (001)-4539-0001, where 001 is the area code.

If you were phoning from abroad, you omit the initial zero. So, if someone in, say, England, would phone the person in Alba Nuadh with phone number 453-0-0001, they would dial 00 (to get to the international exchange in the FK), then 11 (the country code for the NAL), and then 01 (the code for alba Nuadh with the initial zero dropped), and finally 453-0-0001. Numbers from abroad are generally written in this format; +11-11-453-0-0001.

There is a tendency that the first four digits of a phone number represent the city in which it is located. They dial as follows;

1-QZ

2-ABC

3-DEF

4-GHI

5-JKL

6-MNO

7-PRS

8-TUV

9-WXY

0-operator

In the example above, 453 stands for HLF, an abbreviation for Halifax. 726 is RCM, or Richmond. Note that this is not an area code.

The area codes are allocated roughly on a provincial basis, and on the basis of when the states joined the NAL. The provinces vary wildly, however, in area and population, so practicality dictates that Ontario and Les Plaines should have multiple area codes whilst Kend and Oxbridge, Conneticut and Rhode Island as well as the Floridas share codes. The Floridas have a later code than one would expect, because it was introduced only when they re-entered the NAL.

To get to the international operator, one must phone the special code 000 followed by the international area code. To phone reverse charge one must phone 050-073-8373, generally advertised as 0500-REVERSE, and wait for an operator, select the language to use (because the NAL has so many different languages) and then type the number they want to phone reverse charge, then wait and speak a message for the person. The emergency number of the NAL is 999.

It is quite common to advertise a phone number to remember it by letters rather than numbers, so for example BOAC advertise their number as 050-BOACPLUS.

List of Area Code allocations

001-Alba Nuadh

002-Virginia

003-Castreleon New

004-Pennsylvaania

005-Aquanishuonigy

006-New Hampshire

007-Massachussets Bay

008-Rhode Island and Connecticut

009-Kent and Oxbridge

010-Rupert's Land

011-New Yorkshire

012-Pays-d'en-haut

013-Ter Mair

014-Carolina

015-Bahamas

016-Jamaica

017-Northern Les Plaines (this code was only introduced in 1989)

018-Jacobia

019-Oxbridge

020-Cherokee Nation

021-Tenisi

022-Kentucky

023-Mobile

024-Western Les Plaines (this code was introduced in 1989)

025-Illinoise

026-Miami

027-Ouisconsin

028-New Sweden

029-Utawia

030-Mascoutensi

031-Mueva Sefarad

032-Southeast Les Plaines (this code referred to all of the province until 1989)

033-New Iceland

034-Nunavik

035-West Florida and East Florida

Special Codes

These don't specifically refer to any area but are for processes. They are mainly used by national "information lines" and such, and for premium rate services.

040-Pagers

041-Pagers

042-Statellite phones

043-Cable phones

044-Mobile phones

045-Mobile phones

050-Free calls

051-Free calls

052-Free calls

053-Local rate calls (1 farthing per minute on AT, may not cost 1 happeny or more per minute or 1 happeny fixed charge)

054-Local rate calls

055-Local rate calls

056-National rate calls (1 happeny per minute on AT, may not cost 2p happeny ot more per minute or 2 pence happeny or more fixed charge)

057-National rate calls

058-National rate calls

059-National rate calls

060-Premium rate calls (2 pence happeny per minute to 2 shillings sixpence per minute)

061-Premium rate calls "

062-Premium rate calls "

063-Premium rate calls "

064-Premium rate calls "

065-Premium rate calls (2 pence happeny to 2 shillings sixpence per minute)

066-Premium rate calls "

067-Premium rate calls "

068-Premium rate calls "

069-Premium rate calls (for services not suitable for children)