73:
20:
1355:
1365:
92:(FX) service. For example, if a bus company had to provide a bus information number for callers in an area distant from its main office, and if a Zenith number cost $ 6 a month plus about $ 1.50 per call while an FX number cost $ 50 a month, then until the Zenith number regularly received at least 30 calls or more a month it would be cheaper than establishing foreign exchange service.
1344:
1375:
99:
toll-free service, and especially after 1982 when 800 calls no longer had to be placed via special fixed-rate trunks. A similar service in the United
Kingdom, in which callers asked operators for "Freephone (name or number)", had no direct-dial counterpart until 1985.
69:, indicating that the caller had to call the operator to place the call. The operator looked up the Zenith number to find the corresponding city and directory telephone number, and completed the call by charging it to the destination number.
50:
Introduced in the 1930s, a Zenith number was listed in local directories in each community from which a business desired to receive calls. In that era, direct-dial numbers were commonly published with
265:
103:
As direct-dial toll-free service declined in cost, Zenith numbers nearly disappeared; telephone companies in most service areas are no longer assigning new Zenith numbers.
72:
89:
204:
1327:
1299:
1294:
319:
184:
1321:
95:
In the United States and Canada, usage of manual Zenith numbers diminished after the 1967 introduction of interstate direct-dial 800 area code
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1306:
1286:
1088:
1311:
1157:
1083:
19:
1177:
88:
For an organization expecting calls from a specific area but not very frequently, a Zenith number could provide savings over using
962:
510:
312:
254:
1073:
1068:
619:
291:(archival video), Ministry of the Solicitor General, Ontario Provincial Police (1975), OPP Museum accession number 2012.20.16
1093:
1378:
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1026:
569:
336:
1358:
865:
305:
96:
229:
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1078:
785:
208:
44:
61:
The letter Z appeared on many telephone dials from the early 1930s to the 1950s at the same position as the label
989:
950:
795:
695:
624:
557:
384:
150:
123:
107:
1348:
590:
525:
478:
364:
185:"Your special ZENITH number: ZENITH phone service gets you out-of-town customers without costly branch offices"
51:
1187:
1172:
1016:
967:
890:
790:
468:
354:
349:
1109:
895:
710:
655:
650:
463:
428:
1011:
815:
780:
700:
680:
602:
490:
411:
925:
885:
855:
612:
547:
438:
40:
935:
875:
634:
596:
453:
394:
379:
55:
1162:
1119:
1050:
920:
850:
825:
760:
607:
328:
170:
47:
with area code 800 in the United States. Some areas used the names "Enterprise" or "WX" number.
1202:
1124:
1038:
1021:
984:
870:
830:
660:
629:
495:
389:
1207:
1167:
1147:
1114:
1043:
1001:
915:
770:
755:
730:
705:
665:
515:
374:
369:
359:
835:
690:
458:
421:
288:
151:"Telephone Directory–Canoga Park, Newhall, North Hollywood, Palmdale, Reseda and Van Nuys"
433:
106:
A few organizations have continued to keep Zenith numbers. For example, as of 2006, the
1033:
905:
880:
840:
810:
685:
520:
406:
1393:
1182:
955:
945:
860:
750:
745:
735:
720:
542:
401:
32:
1060:
900:
845:
775:
740:
675:
574:
564:
416:
23:
Zenith telephone number listing in a 1938 Southern
California telephone directory
1260:
910:
820:
805:
765:
725:
584:
1265:
972:
670:
579:
535:
505:
483:
473:
448:
281:
1250:
715:
530:
233:
1245:
1235:
1152:
977:
800:
1240:
1225:
1270:
1230:
552:
344:
297:
35:
to call the service subscriber at no charge by requesting the name
1255:
1192:
500:
71:
18:
1197:
301:
443:
31:
was a telephone service in the United States that allowed a
76:
Bell System telephone dial of 1953 with letter Z at the
54:
followed by digits, such as in the telephone number "
1279:
1216:
1138:
1102:
1059:
1000:
934:
643:
335:
153:. Southern California Telephone Company. 1938-07-01
114:, On its website it advertises 1-800-TELL-CHP.
190:. The Spokesman-Review, Spokane WA. p. 7.
313:
129:Ambulance Dispatchers - Ontario Zenith 80000
8:
1328:Global telecommunications regulation bodies
282:Zenith 50,000 - A call for crime prevention
1364:
320:
306:
298:
230:"Contacting the California Highway Patrol"
199:
197:
145:
143:
139:
271:from the original on 9 November 2022.
183:Pacific Telephone (August 21, 1959).
43:. The service preceded the system of
7:
1374:
84:, a common feature since the 1930s.
16:Type of business telephone service
14:
110:continued to use its decades-old
1373:
1363:
1354:
1353:
1342:
963:Free-space optical communication
205:"Remembering Old Zenith Numbers"
126:Detachment Search - Zenith 50000
1:
255:"Friends newsletter May 2012"
1349:Telecommunication portal
1130:Telecommunications equipment
171:History of Toll-Free Numbers
866:Alexander Stepanovich Popov
45:toll-free telephone numbers
1416:
570:Telecommunications history
1337:
1178:Public Switched Telephone
990:telecommunication circuit
951:Fiber-optic communication
696:Francis Blake (telephone)
491:Optical telecommunication
262:Friends of The OPP Museum
124:Ontario Provincial Police
108:California Highway Patrol
1089:Orbital angular-momentum
526:Satellite communications
365:Communications satellite
52:telephone exchange names
968:Molecular communication
791:Gardiner Greene Hubbard
620:Undersea telegraph line
355:Cable protection system
173:, from bebusinessed.com
1110:Communication protocol
896:Charles Sumner Tainter
711:Walter Houser Brattain
656:Edwin Howard Armstrong
464:Information revolution
85:
39:and the number from a
24:
1084:Polarization-division
816:Narinder Singh Kapany
781:Erna Schneider Hoover
701:Jagadish Chandra Bose
681:Alexander Graham Bell
412:online video platform
80:-position with digit
75:
22:
926:Vladimir K. Zworykin
886:Almon Brown Strowger
856:Charles Grafton Page
511:Prepaid mobile phone
439:Electrical telegraph
41:switchboard operator
876:Johann Philipp Reis
635:Wireless revolution
597:The Telephone Cases
454:Hydraulic telegraph
56:PEnnsylvania 6-5000
1074:Frequency-division
1051:Telephone exchange
921:Charles Wheatstone
851:Jun-ichi Nishizawa
826:Innocenzo Manzetti
761:Reginald Fessenden
496:Optical telegraphy
329:Telecommunications
287:2014-06-30 at the
86:
25:
1400:Telephone numbers
1387:
1386:
1125:Store and forward
1120:Data transmission
1034:Network switching
985:Transmission line
831:Guglielmo Marconi
796:Internet pioneers
661:Mohamed M. Atalla
630:Whistled language
1407:
1377:
1376:
1367:
1366:
1357:
1356:
1347:
1346:
1345:
1218:Notable networks
1208:Wireless network
1148:Cellular network
1140:Types of network
1115:Computer network
1002:Network topology
916:Thomas A. Watson
771:Oliver Heaviside
756:Philo Farnsworth
731:Daniel Davis Jr.
706:Charles Bourseul
666:John Logie Baird
375:Data compression
370:Computer network
322:
315:
308:
299:
292:
279:
273:
272:
270:
259:
251:
245:
244:
242:
241:
232:. Archived from
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220:
219:
217:
216:
207:. Archived from
201:
192:
191:
189:
180:
174:
168:
162:
161:
159:
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147:
90:foreign exchange
1415:
1414:
1410:
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1408:
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1404:
1390:
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1383:
1343:
1341:
1333:
1275:
1212:
1134:
1098:
1055:
1004:
996:
937:
930:
836:Robert Metcalfe
691:Tim Berners-Lee
639:
459:Information Age
331:
326:
296:
295:
289:Wayback Machine
280:
276:
268:
257:
253:
252:
248:
239:
237:
228:
227:
223:
214:
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203:
202:
195:
188:(advertisement)
187:
182:
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177:
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136:
120:
65:with the digit
17:
12:
11:
5:
1413:
1411:
1403:
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1392:
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1106:
1104:
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1076:
1071:
1069:Space-division
1065:
1063:
1057:
1056:
1054:
1053:
1048:
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1031:
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982:
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965:
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959:
958:
948:
942:
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932:
931:
929:
928:
923:
918:
913:
908:
906:Camille Tissot
903:
898:
893:
888:
883:
881:Claude Shannon
878:
873:
871:Tivadar Puskás
868:
863:
858:
853:
848:
843:
841:Antonio Meucci
838:
833:
828:
823:
818:
813:
811:Charles K. Kao
808:
803:
798:
793:
788:
786:Harold Hopkins
783:
778:
773:
768:
763:
758:
753:
748:
743:
738:
733:
728:
723:
718:
713:
708:
703:
698:
693:
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686:Emile Berliner
683:
678:
673:
668:
663:
658:
653:
647:
645:
641:
640:
638:
637:
632:
627:
625:Videotelephony
622:
617:
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610:
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588:
582:
577:
572:
567:
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521:Radiotelephone
518:
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508:
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498:
493:
488:
487:
486:
476:
471:
466:
461:
456:
451:
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419:
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409:
407:Internet video
399:
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367:
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341:
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333:
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327:
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138:
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15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
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1234:
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1199:
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1128:
1126:
1123:
1121:
1118:
1116:
1113:
1111:
1108:
1107:
1105:
1101:
1095:
1094:Code-division
1092:
1090:
1087:
1085:
1082:
1080:
1079:Time-division
1077:
1075:
1072:
1070:
1067:
1066:
1064:
1062:
1058:
1052:
1049:
1045:
1042:
1040:
1037:
1036:
1035:
1032:
1028:
1025:
1024:
1023:
1020:
1018:
1015:
1013:
1010:
1009:
1007:
1005:and switching
1003:
999:
991:
988:
987:
986:
983:
979:
976:
975:
974:
971:
969:
966:
964:
961:
957:
956:optical fiber
954:
953:
952:
949:
947:
946:Coaxial cable
944:
943:
941:
939:
933:
927:
924:
922:
919:
917:
914:
912:
909:
907:
904:
902:
899:
897:
894:
892:
889:
887:
884:
882:
879:
877:
874:
872:
869:
867:
864:
862:
861:Radia Perlman
859:
857:
854:
852:
849:
847:
844:
842:
839:
837:
834:
832:
829:
827:
824:
822:
819:
817:
814:
812:
809:
807:
804:
802:
799:
797:
794:
792:
789:
787:
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
772:
769:
767:
764:
762:
759:
757:
754:
752:
751:Lee de Forest
749:
747:
746:Thomas Edison
744:
742:
739:
737:
736:Donald Davies
734:
732:
729:
727:
724:
722:
721:Claude Chappe
719:
717:
714:
712:
709:
707:
704:
702:
699:
697:
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692:
689:
687:
684:
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679:
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669:
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664:
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657:
654:
652:
649:
648:
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642:
636:
633:
631:
628:
626:
623:
621:
618:
614:
611:
609:
606:
605:
604:
601:
599:
598:
594:
592:
589:
586:
583:
581:
578:
576:
573:
571:
568:
566:
565:Smoke signals
563:
559:
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
545:
544:
543:Semiconductor
541:
537:
534:
533:
532:
529:
527:
524:
522:
519:
517:
514:
512:
509:
507:
504:
502:
499:
497:
494:
492:
489:
485:
482:
481:
480:
477:
475:
472:
470:
467:
465:
462:
460:
457:
455:
452:
450:
447:
445:
442:
440:
437:
435:
432:
430:
427:
423:
420:
418:
415:
413:
410:
408:
405:
404:
403:
402:Digital media
400:
396:
393:
391:
388:
386:
383:
381:
378:
377:
376:
373:
371:
368:
366:
363:
361:
358:
356:
353:
351:
348:
346:
343:
342:
340:
338:
334:
330:
323:
318:
316:
311:
309:
304:
303:
300:
290:
286:
283:
278:
275:
267:
263:
256:
250:
247:
236:on 2013-10-20
235:
231:
225:
222:
211:on 2006-09-10
210:
206:
200:
198:
194:
186:
179:
176:
172:
167:
164:
152:
146:
144:
140:
133:
128:
125:
122:
121:
117:
115:
113:
112:Zenith 1-2000
109:
104:
101:
98:
93:
91:
83:
79:
74:
70:
68:
64:
59:
57:
53:
48:
46:
42:
38:
34:
33:calling party
30:
29:Zenith number
21:
1061:Multiplexing
936:Transmission
901:Nikola Tesla
891:Henry Sutton
846:Samuel Morse
776:Robert Hooke
741:Amos Dolbear
676:John Bardeen
595:
575:Telautograph
479:Mobile phone
434:Edholm's law
417:social media
350:Broadcasting
277:
261:
249:
238:. Retrieved
234:the original
224:
213:. Retrieved
209:the original
178:
166:
155:. Retrieved
111:
105:
102:
94:
87:
81:
77:
66:
62:
60:
49:
36:
28:
26:
1261:NPL network
973:Radio waves
911:Alfred Vail
821:Hedy Lamarr
806:Dawon Kahng
766:Elisha Gray
726:Yogen Dalal
651:Nasir Ahmed
585:Teleprinter
449:Heliographs
1307:Antarctica
1266:Toasternet
1188:Television
671:Paul Baran
603:Television
587:(teletype)
580:Telegraphy
558:transistor
536:Phryctoria
506:Photophone
484:Smartphone
474:Mass media
240:2013-12-18
215:2006-07-24
157:2023-06-03
134:References
1291:Americas
1280:Locations
1251:Internet2
1012:Bandwidth
716:Vint Cerf
613:streaming
591:Telephone
531:Semaphore
422:streaming
1394:Category
1359:Category
1246:Internet
1236:CYCLADES
1153:Ethernet
1103:Concepts
1027:terminal
978:wireless
801:Bob Kahn
644:Pioneers
469:Internet
360:Cable TV
285:Archived
266:Archived
118:Examples
78:Operator
63:Operator
1379:Commons
1369:Outline
1322:Oceania
1241:FidoNet
1226:ARPANET
1039:circuit
608:digital
337:History
1317:Europe
1287:Africa
1271:Usenet
1231:BITNET
1168:Mobile
1044:packet
553:MOSFET
548:device
345:Beacon
97:InWATS
37:Zenith
1300:South
1295:North
1256:JANET
1193:Telex
1183:Radio
1022:Nodes
1017:Links
938:media
516:Radio
501:Pager
429:Drums
395:video
390:image
380:audio
269:(PDF)
258:(PDF)
1312:Asia
1198:UUCP
1158:ISDN
1203:WAN
1173:NGN
1163:LAN
444:Fax
385:DCT
58:".
1396::
264:.
260:.
196:^
142:^
27:A
1330:)
1326:(
321:e
314:t
307:v
243:.
218:.
160:.
82:0
67:0
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
