Curious 1471 'feature'

Hello all,

I'm with ntl in York, when my phone is actually working I have
discovered a curious issue with 1471. When someone phones me from the
USA, the number comes through on the 1471 service as 02814 467397 (a
number which doesn't work). That would seem to indicate the number had
come from somewhere in Northern Ireland, however according to an
online STD code finder
([url]http://www.brainstorm.co.uk/uk_std_code_search.htm[/url]) 02814 doesn't yet
exist as a dialing code.

This has left me wondering why someone calling from Houston, Texas
does not show up on 1471 as number unavailable? I phoned ntl and they
told me not to concern myself with it, so long as I could make and
receive calls. OK, its a minor issue, but something is wrong somewhere
in the system?

Has anyone else encountered this before?

--
Mick

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 17:50:46 +0000, Mick
<mick.guesswhat@yiscali.co.uk> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Hello all,
>
>I'm with ntl in York, when my phone is actually working I have
>discovered a curious issue with 1471. When someone phones me from the
>USA, the number comes through on the 1471 service as 02814 467397 (a
>number which doesn't work). That would seem to indicate the number had
>come from somewhere in Northern Ireland, however according to an
>online STD code finder
>([url]http://www.brainstorm.co.uk/uk_std_code_search.htm[/url]) 02814 doesn't yet
>exist as a dialing code.
>
>This has left me wondering why someone calling from Houston, Texas
>does not show up on 1471 as number unavailable? I phoned ntl and they
>told me not to concern myself with it, so long as I could make and
>receive calls. OK, its a minor issue, but something is wrong somewhere
>in the system?
>
>Has anyone else encountered this before?[/color]

The key here is NTL - they are probably mucking up the string of
digits. 281 is an area code in Houston so what you are probably
getting is a call from +1 281 446 7397. 1471 ought to return 001 281
etc.

On BT I have recently been getting properly formatted 001 numbers from
US callers.

--
Hiram Hackenbacker

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 17:50:46 +0000, Mick
<mick.guesswhat@yiscali.co.uk> wrote:
[color=blue]
>When someone phones me from the
>USA, the number comes through on the 1471 service as 02814 467397 (a
>number which doesn't work).[/color]

Is this the number which called you:

+1 281 446 7397

?

Mick wrote:[color=blue]
> Hello all,
>
> I'm with ntl in York, when my phone is actually working I have
> discovered a curious issue with 1471. When someone phones me from the
> USA, the number comes through on the 1471 service as 02814 46xxxx (a
> number which doesn't work).[/color]

Well....
[color=blue]
> That would seem to indicate the number had
> come from somewhere in Northern Ireland, however according to an
> online STD code finder
> ([url]http://www.brainstorm.co.uk/uk_std_code_search.htm[/url]) 02814 doesn't yet
> exist as a dialing code.[/color]

However +1 281 446 xxxx would be a valid US number, and 281 is the area
code for - Houston, Texas. Bet your friend's number is +1 281 446 "what
you said".

Looks like something is not recognising this as international (whether
it's the US end not sending an international flag, NTL not seeing it or
something in between), then somebody (NTL?) is adding a spurious leading
zero and presenting it as a domestic UK number. Aren't you glad you
posted the whole number now? ;-)

--
Tony

Mick <mick.guesswhat@yiscali.co.uk> wrote:
[color=blue]
>Hello all,
>
>I'm with ntl in York, when my phone is actually working I have
>discovered a curious issue with 1471. When someone phones me from the
>USA, the number comes through on the 1471 service as 02814 467397 (a[/color]

I suspect there is a simple answer, starting with the fact that the callers
number is probably (281) 4467 7397 in the US. This would have been passed
through the network as CLI without any zeros etc. in front and a flag set to say
'national number' - whilst the call was in the US.

Normally, when the call left the US it would pass through the carriers
'international' switch would should then have changed the CLI to be
'128144677397' and set the flag to say 'international' CLI.

When NTL then received that, it would have been passed through the network to
your local exchange, where that should have seen the international flag, added
'00' in front and sent it to you.

Instead, it appears that the number was never 'internationalised', still marked
as 'national' number which the NTL switch correctly would have assumed was a UK
number, so simply added a '0' on the front - and thats what you saw.

As to who is to blame, the fault probably lies with the American long
distance/international carrier that was used by the caller and not NTL.

Linus


--
Linus Surguy - Magrathea Telecommunications Ltd. Wholesale and retail telephone
services. [url]www.magrathea-telecom.co.uk[/url] [url]www.uknumber.co.uk[/url] [url]www.callthrough.co.uk[/url]
[url]www.telesave.co.uk:[/url] UK 2.8p/1.5p South Africa 8p US, France, Germany Italy 3p
Looking for VoIP? We will gateway SIP & IAX to and from the PSTN.

"Mick" <mick.guesswhat@yiscali.co.uk> wrote in message
news:m38ssvcgdap7qlbiut39buuv25kp1k4dvu@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> Hello all,
>
> I'm with ntl in York, when my phone is actually working I have
> discovered a curious issue with 1471. When someone phones me from the
> USA, the number comes through on the 1471 service as 02814 467397 (a
> number which doesn't work). That would seem to indicate the number had
> come from somewhere in Northern Ireland, however according to an
> online STD code finder
> ([url]http://www.brainstorm.co.uk/uk_std_code_search.htm[/url]) 02814 doesn't yet
> exist as a dialing code.
>
> This has left me wondering why someone calling from Houston, Texas
> does not show up on 1471 as number unavailable? I phoned ntl and they
> told me not to concern myself with it, so long as I could make and
> receive calls. OK, its a minor issue, but something is wrong somewhere
> in the system?[/color]

You've probably just posted your friend's phone number - it's not a clever
thing to do on Usenet what with the cranks and general screw nuts herein.

Gareth.