Time & Temperature via linux

[Patrick Miller]

> 
> Great suggestion. Sounds like a fun little script to write.
> 
> It'll take me a while, but I'll post the number
> here when it's finished. Note: This version will _not_
> contain advertising. I hated that UMB blurb, even though
> I knew it was paying for the whole 844 exchange. By word of
> mouth alone people will learn that it's running on Linux.
> As it should be.
 I am not sure if these prefexes are just reserved for special uses, or if
there are special rates given, but with deregulation, I can not imagine
discounts for things like 844 or 555. 

With new features like N11 (i.e. 911..etc), 900 numbers, computers/SS7, multiple carriers, and 
number shortages the
following numbers seem not to be put on the reserved list much anymore, and
often vary by LEC/Region.

37x
55x... 555 (information), 
57x... 576 (radio/tv), 
95x... 950 (Test), 959 (Test), 958 (Test), 
97x... 970 (Test)
99x...
200 (Test) 
844, (Time/Temp) 
936 (Wx)
96x
976 (TOLL), 

Two interesting sites to check out are:
http://www.nanpa.com/number_resource_info/
http://www.primeris.com/fonefind/

Here is a list of numbers from the
TELECOM Digest by Patrick A. Townson and David Leibold
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=special+use+844&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&selm=14935%40accuvax.nwu.edu&rn
um=10

This is from 1990, and things have changed with multiple local carriers,
computers, and security issues.

In General ---

844 used to be reserved for time announcement purposes. However, it
seems that 844 is more likely to be a regular service exchange these
days.  Another exchange (936?) used to be reserved for weather years
ago as well.

958 prefix will generally be reserved for tests, although it has been
known to be used as a regular prefix. In 809, it would represent a
normal Montego Bay, Jamaica number. In at least one area, pagers are
on the 958 prefix.

959 and 970 are other common test prefixes.

976 is reserved for toll announcement services (though it's possible
that there could be regular phone numbers assigned to 976 in some
NPAs).

Often, there may be special or test exchanges in the 55x, 57x, 95x,
97x or 99x series of prefixes, though this obviously varies according
to the telco and region involved.

200 is another frequently occurring code for tests, as in 1 200 xxx
xxxx or 1 200 xxxx or simply 200 xxxx. Again, this will depend on the
jurisdiction involved.

This listing is not as organised as it probably should have been; it
was left as raw data mainly due to time crunch on my end.  If anyone's
message was missed, it could be because of net mail problems; mail
jams can happen from time to time. Please re-send any info you have if
you don't see it here, or haven't heard any acknowledgement.

Contributions and corrections are welcome at djcl at contact.uucp.
Thanks go to those who contributed; their names appear with their
respective contributions.