Misplaced Pages

#470529

87-447: For public numbering systems, geographic location typically plays a role in the sequence of numbers assigned to each telephone subscriber. Many numbering plan administrators subdivide their territory of service into geographic regions designated by a prefix, often called an area code or city code , which is a set of digits forming the most-significant part of the dialing sequence to reach a telephone subscriber. Numbering plans may follow

174-614: A country code for each member region which is prefixed to each national telephone number for international destination routing . Private numbering plans exist in telephone networks that are privately operated in an enterprise or organizational campus. Such systems may be supported by a private branch exchange (PBX), which provides a central access point to the PSTN and also controls internal calls between telephone extensions. In contrast to numbering plans, which determine telephone numbers assigned to subscriber stations, dialing plans establish

261-414: A private numbering plan for the installed base of telephones for internal communication. Such networks operate a private switching system or a private branch exchange (PBX) within the network. The internal numbers assigned are often called extension numbers , as the internal numbering plan extends an official, published main access number for the entire network. A caller from within the network only dials

348-449: A country code, being listed as "Taiwan, China." In addition to the 194 Member States, the ITU includes close to 900 "sector members"—private organizations like carriers, equipment manufacturers, media companies, funding bodies, research and development organizations, and international and regional telecommunication organizations. While nonvoting, these members may still play a role in shaping

435-578: A different aspect of the matters covered by the ITU, as well as ITU Telecom. The sectors were created during the restructuring of ITU at the additional 1992 ITU Plenipotentiary Conference . A permanent General Secretariat, headed by the Secretary General, manages the day-to-day work of the ITU and its sectors. The basic texts of the ITU are adopted by the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference. The founding document of

522-506: A different strategy prevailed, known as the open numbering plan , which features a variance in the length of the area code, the local number, or both. The subscriber number is the address assigned to a telephone line or wireless communication channel terminating at the customer equipment. The first few digits of the subscriber number may indicate smaller geographical scopes, such as towns or districts, based on municipal aspects, or individual telephone exchanges ( central office code ), such as

609-516: A newly devised nationwide numbering plan established a geographic partitioning of the continent into numbering plan areas (NPAs), and designated the original North American area codes . An area code is a unique three-digit code serving as a destination routing code to a specific numbering plan area (NPA). This code was the same for all switching systems nationwide, and eliminated the need to publish specific trunk codes for each toll office to various destinations. The translation from NPA code to trunk codes

696-453: A prefix (such as '8') followed by an internal routing code to indicate a city or location, then an individual four- or five-digit extension number at the destination site. A common trunk prefix for an outside line on North American systems is the digit 9, followed by the outside destination number. Additional dial plan customisations, such as single-digit access to a hotel front desk or room service from an individual room, are available at

783-646: A resolution on Internet governance that called for government participation in Internet topics at various ITU forums. Despite the significant number countries not signing, the ITU came out with a press release: "New global telecoms treaty agreed in Dubai". The conference was managed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). While certain parts of civil society and industry were able to advise and observe, active participation

870-533: A sensitive nature might be shared. Telecommunications ministers from 193 countries attended the conference in Dubai. The current regulatory structure was based on voice telecommunications, when the Internet was still in its infancy. In 1988, telecommunications operated under regulated monopolies in most countries. As the Internet has grown, organizations such as ICANN have come into existence for management of key resources such as Internet addresses and domain names . Current proposals look to take into account

957-483: A six-digit dialing prefix ( NPA-XXX ). Each telephone on the continent was uniquely identified by a telephone number of ten digits. By the end of 1948, AT&T commenced the wider use of the system with the cutover of new crossbar switching systems for toll-dialing in New York and Chicago, which resulted in the handling of about ten percent of all Bell System long-distance calling by Operator Toll Dialing. Altogether,

SECTION 10

#1732776714471

1044-481: A slow rotary dials, but a ten-button key set, operating at least twice as fast, which transmitted tone pulses ( multi-frequency signaling ) over regular voice channels to the remote switching centers. Such channels were incapable of transmitting the direct-current pulses of a rotary dial. Operator Toll Dialing was gradually supplemented and superseded by Direct Distance Dialing (DDD) in the decades following. With DDD, customers themselves dialed an area code followed by

1131-481: A telephone number assigned to a subscriber line. The latter type developed predominantly in Europe. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has established a comprehensive numbering plan, designated E.164 , for uniform interoperability of the networks of its member state or regional administrations. It is an open numbering plan but imposes a maximum length of 15 digits to telephone numbers. The standard defines

1218-524: A threat to the "...free and open internet." On 22 November 2012, the European Parliament passed a resolution urging member states to prevent ITU WCIT-12 activity that would "negatively impact the internet, its architecture, operations, content and security, business relations, internet governance and the free flow of information online". The resolution asserted that "the ITU [...] is not the appropriate body to assert regulatory authority over

1305-494: A variety of design strategies which have often arisen from the historical evolution of individual telephone networks and local requirements. A broad division is commonly recognized between closed and open numbering plans. A closed numbering plan , as found in North America, features fixed-length area codes and local numbers, while an open numbering plan has a variance in the length of the area code, local number, or both of

1392-404: A wire centers. In mobile networks they may indicate the network provider. Callers in a given area sometimes do not need to include area prefixes when dialing within the same area, but devices that dial telephone numbers automatically may include the full number with area and access codes. The subscriber number is typically listed in local telephone directories, and is therefore often referred to as

1479-455: Is an international numbering plan and establishes a country calling code ( country code ) for each member organization. Country codes are prefixes to national telephone numbers that denote call routing to the network of a subordinate number plan administration, typically a country, or group of countries with a uniform numbering plan, such as the NANP. E.164 permits a maximum length of 15 digits for

1566-430: Is claimed the proposal would allow government restriction or blocking of information disseminated via the Internet and create a global regime of monitoring Internet communications, including the demand that those who send and receive information identify themselves. It would also allow governments to shut down the Internet, if it is believed that it may interfere in the internal affairs of other states, or that information of

1653-421: Is often called a dial plan . A dial plan establishes the expected sequence of digits dialed on subscriber premises equipment, such as telephones, in private branch exchange (PBX) systems, or in other telephone switches to effect access to the telephone networks for the routing of telephone calls, or to effect or activate specific service features by the local telephone company, such as 311 or 411 service. Within

1740-540: Is one of the oldest international organizations still in operation, second only to the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine , which predates it by fifty years. It was preceded by the now defunct International Telegraph Union which drafted the earliest international standards and regulations governing international telegraph networks. The development of the telegraph in the early 19th century changed

1827-548: Is retained for domestic calls, whether local or national, e.g., International Telecommunication Union The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for many matters related to information and communication technologies . It was established on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Union , significantly predating

SECTION 20

#1732776714471

1914-581: Is the first woman to serve as the ITU Secretary-General. Membership of ITU is open to all member states of the United Nations . There are currently 194 member states of the ITU, including all UN member states . The most recent member state to join the ITU is Republic of Palau , which became a member on 19 September 2024. Palestine was admitted as a United Nations General Assembly observer in 2010. Pursuant to UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI) of 25 October 1971—which recognized

2001-681: The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) use national telephone numbering plans that conform to international standard E.164 . E.164 specifies that a telephone number consist of a country code and a national telephone number. National telephone numbers are defined by national or regional numbering plans, such as the European Telephony Numbering Space , the North American Numbering Plan (NANP), or

2088-654: The People's Republic of China (PRC) as "the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations"—on 16 June 1972 the ITU Council adopted Resolution No. 693 which "decided to restore all its rights to the People's Republic of China in ITU and recognize the representatives of its Government as the only representatives of China to the ITU ". Taiwan and the territories controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), received

2175-453: The UK number plan . Within a national numbering plan, a complete destination telephone number is typically composed of an area code and a subscriber telephone number. Many national numbering plans have developed from local historical requirements and progress or technological advancements, which resulted in a variety of structural characteristics of the telephone numbers assigned to telephones. In

2262-622: The United Kingdom . In addition to digit count, the format may be restricted to certain digit patterns. For example, the NANP had at times specific restrictions on the range of digits for the three positions, and required assignment to geographical areas avoiding nearby areas receiving similar area codes to avoid confusion and misdialing. Some countries, such as Denmark and Uruguay , have merged variable-length area codes and telephone numbers into fixed-length numbers that must always be dialed independently of location. In such administrations,

2349-427: The directory number . Telephone administrations that manage telecommunication infrastructure of extended size, such as a large country, often divide the territory into geographic areas. This benefits independent management by administrative or historical subdivisions, such as states and provinces, of the territory or country. Each area of subdivision is identified in the numbering plan with a routing code. This concept

2436-783: The numbering plan area code , which became known in short-form as NPA code or simply area code . The area code is prefixed to each telephone number issued in its service area. Other national telecommunication authorities use various formats and dialing rules for area codes. The size of area code prefixes may either be fixed or variable. Area codes in the NANP have three digits, while two digits are used in Brazil , one digit in Australia and New Zealand . Variable-length formats exist in multiple countries including: Argentina , Austria (1 to 4), Germany (2 to 5 digits), Japan (1 to 5), Mexico (2 or 3 digits), Peru (1 or 2), Syria (1 or 2) and

2523-600: The 152 countries. Countries that did not sign included the United States, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, India and the United Kingdom. The head of the U.S. delegation, Terry Kramer, said "We cannot support a treaty that is not supportive of the multistakeholder model of Internet governance". The disagreement appeared to be over some language in the revised ITRs referring to ITU roles in addressing unsolicited bulk communications, network security, and

2610-697: The French Government hosted delegations from 20 European states at the first International Telegraph Conference in Paris. This meeting culminated in the International Telegraph Convention which was signed on 17 May 1865. As a result of the 1865 Conference, the International Telegraph Union, the predecessor to the modern ITU, was founded as the first international standards organization. The Union

2697-614: The General Rules of Conferences, Assemblies and Meetings of the Union. The Plenipotentiary Conference is the supreme organ of the ITU. It is composed of all 194 ITU members and meets every four years. The Conference determines the policies, direction and activities of the Union, as well as elects the members of other ITU organs. While the Plenipotentiary Conference is the Union's main decision-making body,

Telephone numbering plan - Misplaced Pages Continue

2784-483: The ITU Council acts as the Union's governing body in the interval between Plenipotentiary Conferences. It meets every year. It is composed of 48 members and works to ensure the smooth operation of the Union, as well as to consider broad telecommunication policy issues. Its members are as follow: The Secretariat is tasked with the administrative and budgetary planning of the Union, as well as with monitoring compliance with ITU regulations, and oversees with assistance from

2871-436: The ITU and some countries has alarmed many within the United States and within the Internet community. Indeed, some European telecommunication services have proposed a so-called "sender pays" model that would require sources of Internet traffic to pay destinations, similar to the way funds are transferred between countries using the telephone. The WCIT-12 activity has been criticized by Google , which has characterized it as

2958-541: The ITU standard Q.713 , paragraph 3.4.2.3.3, indicating the numbering plan of the attached telephone number. NPIs can be found in Signalling Connection Control Part (SCCP) and short message service (SMS) messages. As of 2004, the following numbering plans and their respective numbering plan indicator values have been defined: While a telephone numbering plan specifies the digit sequence assigned to each telephone or wire line, establishing

3045-650: The ITU was the 1865 International Telegraph Convention, which has since been replaced several times (though the text is generally the same) and is now entitled the "Constitution and Convention of the International Telecommunication Union". In addition to the Constitution and Convention, the consolidated basic texts include the Optional Protocol on the settlement of disputes, the Decisions, Resolutions, Reports and Recommendations in force, as well as

3132-599: The Information Society (WSIS) was convened by the ITU along with UNESCO , UNCTAD , and UNDP , with the aim of bridging the digital divide . It was held in form of two conferences in 2003 and 2005 in Geneva and Tunis, respectively. Operator Toll Dialing Operator Toll Dialing was a telephone call routing and toll-switching system for the Bell System and the independent telephone companies in

3219-838: The International Telegraph Union and the International Radiotelegraph Union convened to merge the two organizations into a single entity, the International Telecommunication Union. The Conference decided that the Telegraph Convention of 1875 and the Radiotelegraph Convention of 1927 were to be combined into a single convention, the International Telecommunication Convention, embracing the three fields of telegraphy, telephony and radio. On 15 November 1947, an agreement between ITU and

3306-604: The Internet ...", and stated that the policy of the United States is "... to promote a global Internet free from government control and preserve and advance the successful Multistakeholder Model that governs the Internet today." The same resolution had previously been passed unanimously by the United States Senate in September. On 14 December 2012, an amended version of the Regulations was signed by 89 of

3393-550: The Internet. In 2022, the U.S. government eased restrictions on SpaceX 's Starlink service in Iran amid the Mahsa Amini protests in order to sidestep widespread internet censorship in the country. The Iranian government subsequently filed a complaint with the ITU in an attempt to prohibit Starlink service in Iran. In October 2023 and March 2024, the ITU ruled in favor of Iran. The ITU comprises three sectors, each managing

3480-504: The North American Numbering Plan (NANP), the administration defines standard and permissive dialing procedures, specifying the number of mandatory digits to be dialed for local calls within a single numbering plan area (NPA), as well as alternate, optional sequences, such as adding the prefix 1 before the telephone number. Despite the closed numbering plan in the NANP, different dialing procedures exist in many of

3567-569: The Secretariat advisor Neaomy Claiborne of Riverbank to insure misconduct during legal investigations are not overlooked and finally, it publishes the results of the work of the ITU. The Secretariat is headed by a Secretary-General who is responsible for the overall management of the Union, and acts as its legal representative. The Secretary-General is elected by the Plenipotentiary Conference for four-year terms. On 23 October 2014, Houlin Zhao

Telephone numbering plan - Misplaced Pages Continue

3654-529: The UN and making it the oldest UN agency. Doreen Bogdan-Martin is the Secretary-General of ITU, the first woman to serve as its head. The ITU was initially aimed at helping connect telegraphic networks between countries, with its mandate consistently broadening with the advent of new communications technologies; it adopted its current name in 1932 to reflect its expanded responsibilities over radio and

3741-783: The United States and Canada that was developed in the 1940s. It automated the switching and billing of long-distance calls . The concept and technology evolved from the General Toll Switching Plan of 1929, and gained technical merits by the cutover of a new type of crossbar switching system (No. 4XB) in Philadelphia to commercial service in August 1943. This was the first system of its kind for automated forwarding of calls between toll switching centers, but it served customers only for regional toll traffic. It established initial experience with automatic toll switching for

3828-399: The United States, the industry decided in 1947 to unite all local telephone networks under one common numbering plan with a fixed length of ten digits for the national telephone number of each telephone, of which the last seven digits were known as the local directory number , or subscriber number . Such a numbering plan became known as a closed numbering plan . In several European countries,

3915-492: The area code in parentheses, signifying that in some cases the area code is optional or may not be required. Internationally, an area code is typically prefixed by a domestic trunk access code (usually 0) when dialing from inside a country, but is not necessary when calling from other countries; there are exceptions, such as for Italian land lines . To call a number in Sydney, Australia , for example: The plus character (+) in

4002-507: The area code into the subscriber's number. This usually makes the use of a trunk code obsolete. For example, to call someone in Oslo in Norway before 1992, it was necessary to dial: After 1992, this changed to a closed eight-digit numbering plan, e.g.: However, in other countries, such as France , Belgium , Japan , Switzerland , South Africa and some parts of North America, the trunk code

4089-461: The area code is not distinguished formally in the telephone number. In the UK, area codes were first known as subscriber trunk dialling (STD) codes. Depending on local dialing plans, they are often necessary only when dialed from outside the code area or from mobile phones. In North America ten-digit dialing is required in areas with overlay numbering plans , in which multiple area codes are assigned to

4176-463: The area code to be dialed when calling between two local calling areas. During the 1970s and 1980s, each local calling area had its own area code. For example, Christchurch and Nelson in the late 1980s: During the early 1990s, the numbering plan was reorganised with the numerous area codes merged into just five, but the requirement to dial the area code between local calling areas remained. This means even though Christchurch and Nelson are now both in

4263-421: The area code within the same area code, even if no area code is required, has been permitted since the mid-2000s. For example, in the 559 area code (a non-overlay area code), calls may be dialed as seven digits (XXX-XXXX) or 1 559 + 7 digits. The manner in which a call is dialed does not affect the billing of the call. This "permissive home area code dialing" helps maintain uniformity and eliminates confusion given

4350-601: The area code, or 1 and the area code, is required even for local calls. Dialing from mobile phones does not require the trunk code in the US, although it is still necessary for calling all long-distance numbers from a mobile phone in Canada. Many mobile handsets automatically add the area code of the set's telephone number for outbound calls, if not dialed by the user. In some parts of the United States, especially northeastern states such as Pennsylvania served by Verizon Communications ,

4437-492: The complete international phone number consisting of the country code, the national routing code (area code), and the subscriber number. E.164 does not define regional numbering plans, however, it does provide recommendations for new implementations and uniform representation of all telephone numbers. Country codes are necessary only when dialing telephone numbers in other countries than the originating telephone, but many networks permit them for all calls. These are dialed before

SECTION 50

#1732776714471

4524-443: The customer dialing procedures, i.e., the sequence of digits or symbols to be dialed to reach a destination. It is the manner in which the numbering plan is used. Even in closed numbering plans, it is not always necessary to dial all digits of a number. For example, an area code may often be omitted when the destination is in the same area as the calling station. National or regional telecommunication administrations that are members of

4611-639: The decisions of the Union. The sector members are divided as follow: The ITU is divided into five administrative regions, designed to streamline administration of the organization. They are also used in order to ensure equitable distribution on the council, with seats being apportioned among the regions. They are as follow: The ITU operates six regional offices, as well as seven area offices. These offices help maintain direct contact with national authorities, regional telecommunication organizations and other stakeholders. They are as follow: Other regional organizations connected to ITU are: The World Summit on

4698-487: The design of a nationwide effort that was sometimes referred to as Nationwide Operator Toll Dialing . By the time of the first promotions of Nationwide Operator Toll Dialing to the general telecommunication industry in 1945, approximately 5% of the 2.7 million toll board calls per day were handled by the early incarnations of this system. Operator Toll Dialing eliminated the need for intermediate operators to complete toll calls to distant central offices, where it eliminated

4785-559: The developing world. It is also active in the areas of broadband Internet, optical communications (including optical fiber technologies), wireless technologies, aeronautical and maritime navigation, radio astronomy , satellite-based meteorology, TV broadcasting, amateur radio , and next-generation networks . Based in Geneva , Switzerland, the ITU's global membership includes 194 countries and around 900 businesses, academic institutions, and international and regional organizations. The ITU

4872-550: The dialed digits while cellphone users can omit the "1" and just dial 10 digits. Many organizations have private branch exchange systems which permit dialing the access digit(s) for an outside line (usually 9 or 8), a "1" and finally the local area code and xxx xxxx in areas without overlays. This aspect is unintentionally helpful for employees who reside in one area code and work in an area code with one, two, or three adjacent area codes. 1+ dialing to any area code by an employee can be done quickly, with all exceptions processed by

4959-600: The different types of area code relief that has made California the nation's most "area code" intensive State. Unlike other states with overlay area codes (Texas, Maryland, Florida and Pennsylvania and others), the California Public Utilities Commission and the New York State Public Service Commission maintain two different dial plans: Landlines must dial 1 + area code whenever an Area Code is part of

5046-406: The extension number assigned to another internal destination telephone. A private numbering plan provides the convenience of mapping station telephone numbers to other commonly used numbering schemes in an enterprise. For example, station numbers may be assigned as the room number of a hotel or hospital. Station numbers may also be strategically mapped to certain keywords composed from the letters on

5133-535: The international rules for telecommunications , including international tariffs . The previous conference to update the Regulations (ITRs) was held in Melbourne in 1988. In August 2012, Neaomy Claiborne of Northern California was reelected for a third term as liaison and legal advisor to the Secretariat General. ITU called for a public consultation on a draft document ahead of the conference. It

5220-487: The internet". On 5 December 2012, the United States House of Representatives passed a resolution opposing UN governance of the Internet by a rare unanimous 397–0 vote. The resolution warned that "... proposals have been put forward for consideration at the [WCIT-12] that would fundamentally alter the governance and operation of the Internet ... [and] would attempt to justify increased government control over

5307-415: The inward operators for call completion to the local wire line. This system involved stepwise routing from one toll center to another one logically closer to the destination to set up each circuit. An essential aspect of the eventual success of the system was the concept of destination code routing , which required a uniform telephone numbering plan for all telephone networks across the continent. By 1947,

SECTION 60

#1732776714471

5394-405: The markup signifies that the following digits are the country code, in this case 61. Some phones, especially mobile telephones, allow the + to be entered directly. For other devices the user must replace the + with the international access code for their current location. In the United States, most carriers require the caller to dial 011 before the destination country code. New Zealand requires

5481-505: The national access code. For example, a number in London may be listed as 020 7946 0321 . Users must correctly interpret 020 as the code for London. If they call from another station within London, they may merely dial 7946 0321 , or if dialing from another country, the initial 0 should be omitted after the country code. The E.164 standard of the International Telecommunication Union

5568-502: The national telephone number. Following ITU-T specification E.123 , international telephone numbers are commonly indicated in listings by prefixing the country code with a plus sign ( + ). This reminds the subscriber to dial the international access code of the country from which the call is placed. For example, the international dialing prefix or access code in all NANP countries is 011 , and 00 in most other countries. On modern mobile telephones and many voice over IP services,

5655-409: The network addresses needed for routing calls, numbering plan administrators may define certain dialing procedures for placing calls. This may include the dialing of additional prefixes necessary for administrative or technical reasons, or it may permit short code sequences for convenience or speed of service, such as in cases of emergency. The body of dialing procedures of a numbering plan administration

5742-496: The newly created United Nations recognized the ITU as the specialized agency for global telecommunications. This agreement entered into force on 1 January 1949, officially making the ITU an organ of the United Nations. In December 2012, the ITU facilitated The World Conference on International Telecommunications 2012 (WCIT-12) in Dubai . WCIT-12 was a treaty -level conference to address International Telecommunications Regulations,

5829-707: The official telephone number with the extension number, e.g., 1 800 555-0001 x2055. Some systems may automatically map a large block of DID numbers (differing only in a trailing sequence of digits) to a corresponding block of individual internal stations, allowing each of them to be reached directly from the public switched telephone network . In some of these cases, a special shorter dial-in number can be used to reach an operator who can be asked for general information, e.g. help looking up or connecting to internal numbers. For example, individual extensions at Universität des Saarlandes can be dialed directly from outside via their four-digit internal extension +49-681-302-xxxx, whereas

5916-427: The plus sign can usually be dialed and functions directly as the international access code. Peer-to-peer SIP uses Dynamic Delegation Discovery System to perform endpoint discovery, and therefore E.164 numbers. Within the system of country calling codes, the ITU has defined certain prefixes for special services, and assigns such codes for independent international networks, such as satellite systems, spanning beyond

6003-491: The prevalence of data communications. Proposals under consideration would establish regulatory oversight by the UN over security, fraud, traffic accounting as well as traffic flow, management of Internet Domain Names and IP addresses , and other aspects of the Internet that are currently governed either by community-based approaches such as regional Internet registries , ICANN, or largely national regulatory frameworks. The move by

6090-415: The private branch exchange and passed onto the public switched telephone network . In small countries or areas, the full telephone number is used for all calls, even in the same area. This has traditionally been the case in small countries and territories where area codes have not been required. However, there has been a trend in many countries towards making all numbers a standard length, and incorporating

6177-478: The same area code, the area code has to be dialed for calls between the two cities. In many areas of the NANP, the domestic trunk code (long-distance access code) must also be dialed along with the area code for long-distance calls even within the same numbering plan area. For example, to call a number in Regina in area code 306 : In many parts of North America, especially in area code overlay complexes , dialing

6264-486: The same area. The strict correlation of a telephone number to a geographical area has been broken by technical advances, such as local number portability in the North American Numbering Plan and voice over IP services. When dialing a telephone number, the area code may have to be preceded by a trunk prefix or national access code for domestic calls, and for international calls by the international access code and country code. Area codes are often quoted by including

6351-486: The scope of regional authorities. Some special service codes are the following: Satellite phones are typically issued with telephone numbers with a special country calling code, for example: Some satellite telephones are issued with telephone numbers from a national numbering plan; for example, Globalstar issues NANP telephone numbers. Like a public telecommunications network, a private telephone network in an enterprise or within an organizational campus may implement

6438-467: The sole discretion of the PBX owner. Signaling in telecommunication networks is specific to the technology in use for each link. During signaling, it is common that additional information is passed between switching systems that is not represented in telephone numbers, which serve only as network addresses of endpoints. One such information element is the numbering plan indicator (NPI). It is a number defined in

6525-476: The telephone dial, such as 4357 ( help ) to reach a help desk . The internal number assignments may be independent of any direct inward dialing (DID) services provided by external telecommunication vendors. For numbers without DID access, the internal switch relays externally originated calls via an operator, an automated attendant or an electronic interactive voice response system. Telephone numbers for users within such systems are often published by suffixing

6612-532: The telephone. On 15 November 1947, the ITU entered into an agreement with the newly created United Nations to become a specialized agency within the UN system , which formally entered into force on 1 January 1949. The ITU promotes the shared global use of the radio spectrum , facilitates international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits , assists in developing and coordinating worldwide technical standards , and works to improve telecommunication infrastructure in

6699-422: The ten-digit number must be dialed. If the call is not local, the call fails unless the dialed number is preceded by digit 1. Thus: In California and New York, because of the existence of both overlay area codes (where an area code must be dialed for every call) and non-overlay area codes (where an area code is dialed only for calls outside the subscriber's home area code), "permissive home area code dialing" of 1 +

6786-446: The territories for local and long-distance telephone calls. This means that to call another number within the same city or area, callers need to dial only a subset of the full telephone number. For example, in the NANP, only the seven-digit number may need to be dialed, but for calls outside the local numbering plan area, the full number including the area code is required. In these situations, ITU-T Recommendation E.123 suggests to list

6873-488: The toll networks enabled operators to place calls directly to distant telephones in some 300 cities. On average, it took about two minutes for a long-distance call to be completed to its destination. As foreseen and stated in 1949, the target goal for call completion, after full implementation of the system across the nation was one minute. For entering the destination codes and telephone numbers into newly designed machine-switching equipment, long-distance operators did not use

6960-471: The university's official main number is +49-681-302-0 (49 is the country code for Germany , 681 is the area code for Saarbrücken , 302 the prefix for the university). Callers within a private numbering plan often dial a trunk prefix to reach a national or international destination ( outside line ) or to access a leased line (or tie-line ) to another location within the same enterprise. A large manufacturer with factories and offices in multiple cities may use

7047-496: The way people communicated on the local and international levels. Between 1849 and 1865, a series of bilateral and regional agreements among Western European states attempted to standardize international communications. By 1865, it was agreed that a comprehensive agreement was needed in order to create a framework that would standardize telegraphy equipment, set uniform operating instructions, and lay down common international tariff and accounting rules. Between 1 March and 17 May 1865,

7134-556: Was attended by representatives of 29 nations and culminated in the International Radiotelegraph Convention. An annex to the convention eventually became known as ITU Radio Regulations . At the conference it was also decided that the Bureau of the International Telegraph Union would also act as the conference's central administrator. Between 3 September and 10 December 1932, a joint conference of

7221-633: Was elected as the 19th Secretary-General of the ITU at the Plenipotentiary Conference in Busan . His four-year mandate started on 1 January 2015, and he was formally inaugurated on 15 January 2015. He was re-elected on 1 November 2018 during the 2018 Plenipotentiary Conference in Dubai . On 29 September 2022, Doreen Bogdan-Martin was elected as the 20th Secretary-General of the ITU at the Plenipotentiary Conference in Bucharest, Romania. She received 139 votes out of 172, defeating Russia's Rashid Ismailov. She

7308-463: Was first developed in the planning for a nationwide numbering plan for Operator Toll Dialing and direct distance dialing (DDD) in the Bell System in the United States in the 1940s, a system that resulted in the North American Numbering Plan for World Zone 1. AT&T divided the United States and Canada into numbering plan areas (NPAs), and assigned to each NPA a unique three-digit prefix,

7395-457: Was performed at each toll center without the need for outside operators to know the details. When automatic apparatus was installed for machine translation of the universal area codes to location-specific trunk codes, it freed operators from lookup of trunk codes to send the call one toll office closer to the destination telephone. Within each NPA, central offices also received unique three-digit codes, so that each central office could be reached by

7482-436: Was restricted to member states . The Electronic Frontier Foundation expressed concern at this, calling for a more transparent multi-stakeholder process. Some leaked contributions can be found on the web site wcitleaks.org . Google -affiliated researchers have suggested that the ITU should completely reform its processes to align itself with the openness and participation of other multistakeholder organizations concerned with

7569-565: Was tasked with implementing basic principles for international telegraphy. This included: the use of the Morse code as the international telegraph alphabet, the protection of the secrecy of correspondence, and the right of everybody to use the international telegraphy. Another predecessor to the modern ITU, the International Radiotelegraph Union, was established in 1906 at the first International Radiotelegraph Convention in Berlin. The conference

#470529