ERRONEOUS UK TELEPHONE CODES

'0207' and '0208' are erroneous British telephone STD codes, which are commonly and incorrectly quoted in speech and writing by residents of the United Kingdom instead of the correct code of '020' for London. Similar problems exist in Cardiff, Coventry, Reading, Southampton, Portsmouth and Northern Ireland.
According to research by regulator Ofcom in February 2005, only 13% of respondents correctly identified, without prompting, the code for London to be 020 and 59% identified it as 0207 or 0208.^[1]

Contents

Local numbers and area codes

London area code

History of the confusion

Re-unification of London

Misquoting

New London numbers

Similar errors with other area codes

See also

References

External links

Local numbers and area codes

A full British fixed telephone number (i.e. a landline, as opposed to a mobile telephone number) is divided into two parts: an STD code (area code) and a local number. The STD code indicates the geographical area, and is only needed when calling from a line with a different STD code. When dialling from within the correct area, the local number—without the STC prefix—may be dialled.
In order to distinguish between the area code and the local number in speech and writing, a noticeable visual gap or audible pause is often created. To quote the number as '01223123456' would appear less clear, and less easy on the eye when reading it. To make the pause in the correct place—both in writing and in speech—serves as a guide to distinguish the area code from the local number, and also an aid to memory.

London area code

:''Further information: 020''
The telephone area code for most of Greater London, and some surrounding areas, is 020. It is 'not' "0207", "0208" or "0203".
"020" is the area code. All London telephone numbers then have eight digits, most clearly expressed as two sets of four. The London number '(020) 7222 1234' can be dialled simply as '7222 1234' from any other geographical land-line whose area code is also '020'.

History of the confusion

Between 1958 and 1979, when the UK's traditional STD codes were decided upon and allocated, London was given the code '01' — for example, 01-958 0357. The local number comprised seven digits. This was because the original Exchange Dialing system had had a three digit area designator and a four digit code. The original area designator was alphabetic - thus 'Stonegrove 0357' became '958-0357', and thence '01-958-0357'. A strong tradition was thereby set up for providing a telephone number as a string of three digits, and then four digits. For Londoners, the initial '01' was seldom or never dialed.
In May 1990, the single London area was split, into two areas, due to increased demand. Central London was given the code '071' — for example, 071-946 0357 — and the rest was given the code '081'. The local numbers remained as seven digits. This doubled the numbers available for London, but it also meant that a person from outer London, when calling a central London number, would have to dial the full number including prefix.
To free up more numbers for future use, on Easter Sunday, 16 April 1995 (dubbed "PhONE Day"), an extra digit "1" was inserted after the initial zero into all the existing geographic codes. Therefore Central and Outer London became '0171' and '0181' respectively (e.g. 0171-946 0357).

Re-unification of London

Further increased demand for telephone numbers in London led to the need for more number-space: rather than again split area codes, it was decided to add an extra digit to the start of each London local number, and merge the 0171 and 0181 area codes back into one - thus increasing the available numbers fivefold.
From 1 June 1999, a new code for a ''re-united London'' was created, 020. All the old seven-digit numbers had a 7 or 8 prepended to them, depending upon whether they had been part of 0171 or 0181. Thus 0171-946 0357 ''became'' (020) 7946 0357, and 0181-946 0357 ''became'' (020) 8946 0357. However, direct dialling of 8-digit local numbers was not implemented until 22 April 2000.
After this date, however, London became once more fully united and all local numbers could be connected correctly from anywhere in the area. The following diagram shows the history of London's code, starting with the original unified 01 code and ending with the reunified 020 code:

Misquoting

Throughout the changes which had occurred, Londoners themselves had been able to keep calling locally by using the traditional 'three-digit area/four digit code' number. Although London was re-united, people still frequently quote and write London numbers as if the city were still split up into central and outer areas, by saying and writing "0207" and "0208". If the number is dialled in full as '0207 946 0357', the destination will indeed be correctly reached. However, it is confusing to place the pause as such, because if such a number as '946 0357' were attempted within London as ''if it were a local number'', it would be missing the first digit (of eight) and the call would not be connected.
Possible causes for the misunderstanding include the confusion created during the period from 1 June 1999 to 22 April 2000, where it was not possible to dial eight-digit local numbers; the fact that people had become very much accustomed to the rhythm of a three-digit area code and a four digit 'inner/outer' code; and that incorrectly formatted caller ID data was transmitted for some time after the change.
Numerous examples of incorrectly formatted telephone numbers may still be seen in and around London, including signwriting on shopfronts and commercial vehicles, and in newspaper advertisements. The incorrectly-placed pauses are also heard in speech everywhere: in radio and television advertisements, and said by office workers misquoting their office numbers as "0207 ... ...." - unaware that this simply perpetuates the confusion.
Confusion was also introduced by the UK's prime telecoms operator, BT, who explained the change with advertising showing that "0171" numbers would become "0207" and likewise "0181" would become "0208". Their directory-assistance service also quoted the codes incorrectly.
A 2005 television advert for the mobile telephony provider O2 promoted a service which allows a user to select two area codes they can call for a reduced price; it also showed 0207 and 0208 as different "area codes".

New London numbers

As of June 2005, new local numbers in London have begun to be allocated with an initial "3" - for example, '(020) 3946 0357'. Due to the lingering confusion, people ignorant of the correct format are beginning to erroneously assume that there is now a new London code, ''0203''. Even some newspapers, both local and national, have given this misinformation.^[2][3]
In addition, the geographical significance of the "7" or "8" has been lost with regard to new number issues, so that, for example, some newly allocated numbers in central London now begin with an "8".

Similar errors with other area codes

Telephone numbers in the other 02x area codes (023, 024, 028 and 029) are often similarly misquoted. For example:

★ Many are still inclined to misquote the Coventry number '(024) 7612 3456' (formerly '(01203) 123456') as '02476 123456'.

★ Cardiff, correct code '029', incorrect '02920'. Until very recently, all numbers within the Cardiff area code began with 20.

★ Reading, correct code '0118', incorrect '01189'. A number of years ago the telephone dialling code for Reading was changed from 01734 to 0118 and, at the same time, six-figure telephone numbers were changed to seven figures by adding a "9" at the front. Thus: (01734) XXXXXX became (0118) 9XX XXXX. The problem has arisen because many people believe that the "9" is part of the dialling code rather than the telephone number. In 2007, many years after the change, some businesses in Reading still display the incorrect 01189 dialling code on shopfronts and in advertising. One result of the confusion is that Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service has been receiving calls intended for the Royal Berkshire Hospital.^[4]

★ Northern Ireland has the single STD code (028), however many people consider the first 2 digits of the telephone number to be part of the STD code. For example Belfast numbers are often mispresented as 02890 XXXXXX (rather than 028 90XXXXXX). BT add to the confusion by using the first 2 digits of the subscribers number to determine which calls within the 028 area qualify for 'local' rates and which are charged as 'national'.

★ Although now less common, the mistake still sometimes occurs with the '011x' codes introduced in the 1995 phONEday changes.

See also

★ UK telephone numbering plan

★ Big Number Change

References

1.
2. Coventry confusion as capital rings changes Sean O'Neill
3. 0203 to be third telephone code ''[SIC]'' Nick Goodway
4. Fire bosses ward off wrong calls

External links

★ Explanation from Ofcom (UK telephone regulator) - PDF Format

★ Guardian article

★ BT dialling code page

★ Do you know your own phone number?