Recent letter (bulk rate USPS) from main service provider this region, dated Oct 24 2021:
"10-digit Dialing Will Now Be Required for All Local Calls"
Dear Neighbor:
Starting on October 24 2021, the FCC has mandated that all phone calls will require dialing the full 10-digit phone number, including area code. That means that all residents (AK) regardless of their service provider, will need to dial '9xx' before seven-digit numbers, even when making a local phone call. There is no change to dialing 911 for emergency calling.
What do you need to do?
• Begin using full 10-digit phone numbers when dialing local calls.
• Make sure your mobile contact entries include full 10-digit local number, including '9xx'.
• Reprogram any call forwarding or local phone features to start with '9xx'.
• Reprogram local business phones to start with '9xx'.
• Reprogram all local services, automatic dialing equipment, or other types of equipment to complete calls using a 10-digit number. Examples include, but are not limited to:
•Fax machines
•Fire of burglar alarms
•Security systems or gates
•Life safety systems or medical monitoring devices
•Emergency elevator phones
If you are a business customer with a Managed Voice phone system, Gxx will reprogram your phones. No action is required by you. However, if you are a business or small business customer, with additional lines that are not Managed Voice, you are responsible for reprogramming those systems. In some rare cases, older phones systems may not be compatible with 10-digit dialing and will need to be replaced. Please contact your account manager with questions about your phone system. You may call 800-xxx-0000.
Thank you.
Your Neighbors at 'Gxx'
+=+=+=+
A call on landline, (suspicious) from their business number in my Caller-ID
from 'this local business' the call initiator had a non-regional accent. And
asked more than usual questions [most these,would require a Yes, or No].
On further inquiry, the woman said she was calling, as 'Contractor for 'Gxx'
from the Philippines. I politely begged off the call and hung up. Before I
could provide them any more personal details they wanted to harvest.
An unusual call, and an example of call spoofing that some recent calls show
in landline phone, or cellular CallerID, who've called lately. I pick up the phone,
& say nothing. Most non-robotic callers would say something, into the silence.
The automated calls, hang up. Those even with 'local area code' will not accept
return calls; with or without the +1. That's because more often, they're faked.
Harder to get rid of those, too. Never talk first. Let a 'mystery caller-device' do so.
Reporting those calls becomes suspect when an alleged return call from foreign
country (or not) asks for addition phone numbers, or info an official would've had.
Contents of actual letter: manually transcribed. I hadn't tossed it into shredder.🌻
