555 (telephone number)

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The North American Numbering Plan ( NANP ) starts with 555 telephone numbers for various purposes. This is not an area code. In the NANP all telephone numbers are ten digits long. The number 555-0100 in New York (area code including 212) could be reached by dialing 212-555-0100.

555 as a fictitious phone number

In the 1970s, American telecommunications providers recommended that feature film and television series producers continue to use phone numbers starting with 555 for fictional purposes, after having been the norm since the 1930s. The main reason for using fictional phone numbers are possible conflicts with real numbers. For example, in 1981 the song 867-5309 (Jenny) by Tommy Tutone led to calls to the owner of this number, who was always asked for Jenny . However, a supposedly fictional 555 number can also lead to a problem, as happened in 2001 when the number 555-1332 was used: when a radio report was broadcast from the USA in Australia , listeners there called this number. The owner filed a lawsuit and lost.

Today, not all phone numbers beginning with 555 are fictional, but only the range from 555-0100 to 555-0199.

555 as a real phone number

NANP room

Since 1994, companies have been able to apply for 555 numbers outside the 01xx range as national phone numbers. These numbers can then be reached from all area codes and can be forwarded to different destinations. Local information can be reached at 555-1212.

Other countries

In Germany there is no structuring of subscriber numbers in prefix and suffix (ppp-ssss) as in NANP. The phone numbers within a local area can have two to nine digits; that is, there are even places where the connection number 555 appears as a complete number. Telephone numbers with 555 at the beginning occur in many area codes in Austria and Germany; this has no meaning whatsoever. It has happened a few times that numbers from films overlap with these.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Laughs and Litigation: Taking The Joke Too Far. In: The Law Report. Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio National, March 27, 2001, accessed on August 5, 2012 (English, transcript of the broadcast): "For a pleasant conversation, call Satan on 555-1332"