587 Long Distance from Edmonton?

[dubbayoo]

I signed up for a Dell Voice/FPL number a while ago after first hearing about the service. I've got a large number of friends and family in Edmonton (I'm in Nova Scotia) so I requested an Edmonton-based number. I was assigned a 587-557-xxxx number but haven't really used the service until just now. I successfully called an Edmonton number (at no cost) however in a test, the person in Edmonton tried calling me but got notified it was a long distance call for them. 587 is a Province-wide area code, I know that, but surely if I requested an Edmonton number I should be assigned an Edmonton number.

When I registered my account I kept trying to get a new number (up to the limit of 4 or 5 retries, whatever the cap was) and each time I was given a 587 number. At the time I wasn't aware the 587 area code was in use so I kept trying to get a new number, hoping for a 780 area code number, though no 780 number was generated.

So basically at this point I'm stuck with a number I requested for Edmonton that's not for Edmonton, and while I can call Edmonton numbers without issue, none can call me back without incurring a cost. That means I'm getting half the service.

Is there any way to change the number at this point, preferably to a 780 area code number? Or am I stuck with half-useful service? Obviously I can create a new account and hope for a 780 number but if I can avoid that route then all the better.

[FONGO_steve]

587-557 is a newer area code in the Edmonton area:
http://localcallingguide.com/lca_prefix ... nextdays=0

If I had to take a guess, I'd say that the phone carrier used to call your number has not setup their systems properly to accept this area code. I'd have your friend give a call to his phone carrier's support line to complain about this - it's usually a quick fix for them!

[TheHardy]

If I had to take a guess, I'd say that the phone carrier used to call your number has not setup their systems properly to accept this area code. I'd have your friend give a call to his phone carrier's support line to complain about this - it's usually a quick fix for them!

Steve is right, and we have had this issue in other prefixes too -- if the people who are LOCAL to Edmonton cannot call your FPL number correctly, the fault lies with the "Rates and Routing" of their particular carrier, be it Bell (Mobility), Telus (Mobility), Rogers (Wireless), or whomever THEIR carrier is. It is THEIR network that is telling them it is a LONG DISTANCE call (and in most cases, even if they 11D dial it, it will fail), as THEIR provider has not programmed it in yet.

Have THEM (they need their acct info) call THEIR customer service #, ask for "NETWORK OPERATIONS" and then report a "RATES AND ROUTING" problem, detailing YOUR number (587-557) and the issue they are having.

Here in Vancouver, I had the issue with TELUS MIKE users calling into any of the NON-Vancouver FPL/Fongo numbers (Richmond, West/North Van, New West) -- they were all getting the LD intercept message and also failing as 11D calls. Took Telus Mobility 3 weeks to fix this, but it was fixed.

Find out what carrier your friends have -- some may work, some may fail ... eventually, they should all work!

Sorry it is not a simple fix ...

[dubbayoo]

If I had to take a guess, I'd say that the phone carrier used to call your number has not setup their systems properly to accept this area code. I'd have your friend give a call to his phone carrier's support line to complain about this - it's usually a quick fix for them!

Steve is right, and we have had this issue in other prefixes too -- if the people who are LOCAL to Edmonton cannot call your FPL number correctly, the fault lies with the "Rates and Routing" of their particular carrier, be it Bell (Mobility), Telus (Mobility), Rogers (Wireless), or whomever THEIR carrier is. It is THEIR network that is telling them it is a LONG DISTANCE call (and in most cases, even if they 11D dial it, it will fail), as THEIR provider has not programmed it in yet.

Have THEM (they need their acct info) call THEIR customer service #, ask for "NETWORK OPERATIONS" and then report a "RATES AND ROUTING" problem, detailing YOUR number (587-557) and the issue they are having.

Here in Vancouver, I had the issue with TELUS MIKE users calling into any of the NON-Vancouver FPL/Fongo numbers (Richmond, West/North Van, New West) -- they were all getting the LD intercept message and also failing as 11D calls. Took Telus Mobility 3 weeks to fix this, but it was fixed.

Find out what carrier your friends have -- some may work, some may fail ... eventually, they should all work!

Sorry it is not a simple fix ...

Thanks for the info, I've passed it along to the other person. In this case they're using Telus (landline) and I would have to assume Telus hasn't yet been made aware of this issue for 587-557... assuming of course the number assigned is an actual Edmonton number in the first place, of course.

Mayhaps I'll ask others in Edmonton using other networks (wired and wireless) to try it to see which are functional for 587-557, if any.

Is there any reasonable expectation that correcting entries at one level would cascade down to other levels? For instance, you cited a Mike issue, but did other Telus branches (landline, wireless, Koodo, whatever) work successfully with only Mike having the issue? Or if an issue exists with a Bell landline and a report is made and corrections performed, does that info trickle over to Bell Mobility? And so on.

[FONGO_steve]

Landline and mobile networks are usually two very distinct setups with different switching platforms, etc.
I can't comment on whether mobile carrier share the same switches between their sub-brands or not - am not sure on that one.

[TheHardy]

Thanks for the info, I've passed it along to the other person. In this case they're using Telus (landline) and I would have to assume Telus hasn't yet been made aware of this issue for 587-557... assuming of course the number assigned is an actual Edmonton number in the first place, of course.

Mayhaps I'll ask others in Edmonton using other networks (wired and wireless) to try it to see which are functional for 587-557, if any.

Is there any reasonable expectation that correcting entries at one level would cascade down to other levels? For instance, you cited a Mike issue, but did other Telus branches (landline, wireless, Koodo, whatever) work successfully with only Mike having the issue? Or if an issue exists with a Bell landline and a report is made and corrections performed, does that info trickle over to Bell Mobility? And so on.

Glad we could kind of help.

1) Yes, it is an EDMONTON exchange -- reference here: http://www.cnac.ca/data/ac587.htm
(that is the OFFICIAL Canadian Numbering website .. ALL carriers have access to THAT information, and have to update it when they activate a new code)

2) Good plan... then report back, and get any failing ones to report issues to their carriers (if they have the time and inclination). That being said, feel free to copy/paste my instructions into email for them!!

3) Maybe sort of, kind of. But not really. Often times say Telus, Mobility will be okay, but landline not so much. For my issue , Telus PCS/Wireless was FINE, MIKE was fonked. Not sure about landline.

HOWEVER, if the Rates & Routing guys are SMART, and do a test call from their setup, they will also do one from their OFFICE phone, and if they identify it also there, they can contact their equal in the other division and get it resolved quickly! So, the answer is "Sorta" ...

Clear as mud?