555 (telephone number)

With 555 start in the North American Numbering Plan ( NANP) telephone numbers for different purposes. This is not about a prefix. In all NANP numbers are ten digits. The number 555-0100 in New York (area code 212 among others ) would be reached by dialing 212-555-0100 from.

555 as a fictitious phone number

In the 1970 U.S. telecommunications providers have producers of feature films and television series recommended to continue starting with 555 telephone numbers to use for fictional purposes after this was so common since the 1930s. The main reason for using fictional telephone numbers are possible conflicts with any real numbers.

For example, in 1981 led the song 867-5309 (Jenny ) by Tommy Tutone to call the owner of this number ( which was asked for "Jenny" ). However, a supposedly fictional 555 - number can cause a problem, as it did when using the number 555-1332 2001. As a radio contribution from the U.S. sent in Australia, called caller there to this number. The owner struggled to a process ( and lost ).

Today, no longer made ​​to all numbers starting with 555 fictional, but only the range of 555-0100 to 555-0199.

555 as a real phone number

NANP area

Since 1994, companies can apply for 555 numbers outside the 01xx range as a nationwide telephone numbers. These numbers are then accessible from all area codes and can be forwarded to different destinations. In 555-1212, the local information is available.

Other countries

In Germany there is no structuring of the subscriber numbers in the prefix and suffix ( ppp- ssss ) as in the NANP. Within a local area, the numbers can be three to nine digits; that is, there are even places where the port number 555 occurs as a complete number. Telephone numbers 555 come out on top in many area codes, this has no substantive meaning. It's already happened a few times that number of films overlapped with these.