Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 11, 1994 TAG: 9407110074
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
Beginning today, managers at Bellcore who administer the North American telephone numbering system will start assigning 500-numbers - such as 1-500-555-1234 - to companies like AT&T, Sprint, MCI, GTE, McCaw Cellular and several dozen others.
The companies will sell them, possibly as early as this fall, to people as "go-anywhere" or "follow-me" numbers. A person with different numbers for home, work or the car could give out a single 500 number.
"You would say, `Here is my one phone number, you can reach me on this phone number anywhere,' " said Tom Mateer, director of wireless strategic development for Sprint.
At the outset, subscribers would have to forward their phones - for example, when they left home for the office. Later, AT&T, Sprint and others plan to offer a way for the numbers to automatically advance to different locations through the day.
Another idea is for the 500-number to "search" for the customer. It could ring twice at home first, twice at the office and twice in the car before going to voice mail if no one answered.
In time, the intelligence of the nation's phone system will grow to the point where people can simply dial a code at the phone closest to them and their calls will arrive.
Subscribers would have to pay extra for 500-numbers, but pricing has yet to be set. Despite that, AT&T announced last week it is signing up customers.
The first "follow-me" products came in 700-numbers several years ago. But they are restricted by phone carrier, meaning that reaching a friend who has a 700-number from AT&T requires a call on the AT&T network.
The 500-number will not have that restriction. And in a few years, the 500-numbers won't be assigned to phone companies but be "portable" between them.
Bellcore, the research arm of the regional Bell operating companies, administers numbers on behalf of the Federal Communications Commission and an industry committee.
Memo: below