From ozzie@digital.net Thu Apr 1 03:35:52 1999 Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 14:51:33 -0500 (EST) From: Robert Osband Reply-To: Ozzie N4SCY To: lcc: press_list; Subject: 10 digit dialling begins on April 1 Area Code 321 starts in November, but 10 digit dialing can start today! Robert Osband, Mr 321 +1 407 Liftoff cellular/voicemail +1 407 635-4166 Pager 1999 April 01 Robert Osband, 49 of Titusville FL, who first suggested to the Florida Public Service Commission that the "Countdown Capital of the World" should have Area Code 321 will get his OTHER wish on April 1. Mr Osband presented his testimony on the 321 Area Code to the PSC last September 24th at a Public Hearing on "Area Code 407 Relief" at Orlando City Hall. The next night he was at the Brevard County Commission meeting room for a second hearing, where he didn't intend to speak. When his idea for the 321 Area Code was presented by one of the Commissioners, he stood up to take a bow, but later he felt compelled to speak again. Mr Osband suggested that since testimony from the telpehone industry had claimed that with modern computerized switching equipment "every call was treated as a toll call, but only those we need records for are recorded", why not allow 10 digit dialling sooner rather than later, so that the Alarm Companies who need more time to reprogram their dial-up alarm systems can do so on their regular maintenance trips, instead of at the last minute. Commissioner Joe Garcia, who is now the Chairman of the Commission made the comment referring to both suggestions, "You're 2 for 2". Osband, a directory assitance operator with Excell Agent Services in Rockledge FL, and a student at the Florida Space Institute, hopes to put together a "Space Awareness Day" on November 1, the first day of "permissive dialling" when callers from any part of the country can reach telephones in Brevard County by using either the 407 or 321 area codes. "Since the area code needs to be dialled by anyone in America calling us, it's a natural to use this non-flight day as a focus on the Space Program, and our new Area Code," Osband said. "As a Directory Assistance operator, I take calls every day for locations all over the country from people who don't know the area they're dialling into has changed it's area code. 'Space Awareness Day' will call attention to the fact that The Space Coast of FLorida will now have it's OWN identity, and that new phones in Orlando, Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties will also get the area code as an 'overlay' for new telephone numbers only." The need is there to make 'Space Awareness Day' a national event so that the entire country will know about our area code change. Of course, the "quaintness" of getting 321 for the place where launch countdowns happen have already generated comments on television's "Good Morning America", and an article in "The Wall Street Journal". Planning is in the begining stages for the event. - 30 - Useful hyper-references: http://SpaceyIdeas.com/publicity/ Contains Wall Street Journal article and blurb from Canadian radio interview. http://digital.net/~ozzie/ltrs/psc980924.html Original testimony before the Public Service Commission http://digital.net/~ozzie Ozzie's Home Page mailto:Ozzie@SpaceyIdeas.Com Ozzie's e-mail address. Special thanks to BellSouth Mobility for the telephone number 407-Liftoff. Ozzie Robert Osband +1 407-Liftoff Home: +1 407 383-9750 PO Box 6841 mailto:Ozzie@SpaceyIdeas.Com Titusville FL http://digital.net/~ozzie USA 32782 http://SpaceyIdeas.Com Originator of the Idea that "The Countdown Capitol of the World" Should Get AREA CODE 3-2-1 http://digital.net/~ozzie/ltrs/psc980924.html Service to the Space Coast of Florida begins on 1999 November 01 http://SpaceyIdeas.Com We can put a "space spin" on your product or marketing program