I use a TracFone pre-paid cell phone, if that makes a difference. If I travel to a different area code and am calling someone in that area code, do I need to dial the call like it’s long distance? Conversely, if I’m calling back to my hometown, do I dial it as a local call or long distance?
I don’t know but I always put the AC in when making a cell call
What country and location are you in? Mobile-phone systems vary widely across the world. From your description and terminology, I will guess that you are in the USA.
The basic principle: when dialing out, cellphones act as if they are landlines in the same location, no matter where they are.
Let’s say your phone has a number in area code A, which is located next to area code B. I’ll assume you can still dial local calls with only seven digits. (This no longer holds true where I am.)
When you are located in area code A, you can dial local calls to area code A with 7 digits. You must add the area code to dial a number in neighbouring area code B.
If you then travel to area code B, your phone acts as if it is a landline located in B, even though its phone number does not change. You can dial local calls to area code B without the area code… but you must add the area code to call numbers in area code A.
When someone calls you, they always dial your number in its home area code, no matter where you are. The cellphone network takes care of forwarding the call from your home location to your actual location, and charges you for the privilege.
Dialing on US (and Canadian) cellphones is a little more flexible than on landline phones in the same area. Many times you can include the area code, and dial all calls as ten digits or as 1 + ten digits, even if you can’t do that on landlines in the same area. This varies according to what cellphone company you are using.
With GSM cellphones, you can take your cellphone to other countries on other continents with radically different dialling styles, and the same principle of dialling like a local applies. When I was in Finland with my Canadian cellphone, I could dial local calls, but I had to dial them as a Finn would in the same location.
Sunspace’s point of order is well-taken. While I can speak authoritatively about non-US mobile systems, I do have some experience within the US. Here’s the big caveat: everything I say can be trumped by a small, nonstandard mobile provider, either in the dialer or recipient’s NPA. That said, here’s the deal generally:
Always dial 10 digits on your mobile. This prevents confusion if you happen to roam outside your local calling area. Also, what do you care? You only enter the number into your directory once, and thereafter just press “dial.” Most providers do not require an initial “1,” even for long-distance calls, but I have occasionally run into smaller providers that do. Apparently, they have older switches we can only hope they’ll replace soon. While that pretty much takes care of intra-US dialing, things get a lot dicier once you go international. Sunspace might be a better source for those calls. Good luck.
Gah! As you can probably tell, the first line of my reply should read “While I can’t speak…” Pretty much applies to me in general…
Is there any reason you cannot ask your provider?
I’ve always dialed the 10 digit number on my cell phone, wherever I am. I wasn’t even aware that cell phones had a ‘default’ areacode programmed into them.
Ok I just did a test - if I dial only the 7 digits my phone will assume the my cellphone areacode no matter where I am.
As I said before I always use the AC anyway - Then again there are about 12 AC’s w/i a 30 mile radius some with overlays so you can be in an area that has as many as 3 areacodes in a single spot.