page_title: AT&T Communications Inc.
section_title: Direct distance dialing
hierarchical_section_title: AT&T Communications Inc. / History / Direct distance dialing
caption_attribution_description: English: AT&amp;T Communications building at 32 Avenue of Americas as seen from west end of North Moore Street on the Hudson during a break in heavy clouds on an early spring afternoon
context_page_description: AT&T Communications, Inc., was a division of the AT&T Corporation that, through 23 subsidiaries, provided interexchange carrier and long-distance telephone services.
context_section_description: In 1950, New York City's five boroughs were dialed from various communities in New Jersey with the digits '1-1' followed by the 7 digit telephone number. While New York City was assigned area code 212 at the very beginning of the Area Code format in October 1947, it wouldn't be until later in the 1950s when Englewood, New Jersey, customers would dial their calls to New York City using the digits 2-1-2. The use of the '11+' code from Englewood (and other parts of northeastern New Jersey) to call New York City had been in place for a while, even prior to 1951. New York City's five boroughs also had been dialing northeastern New Jersey as 11+ the two letters and five digits of the New Jersey number as well for a while prior to 1951 and until the latter 1950s.
  The use of area code 201 to call New Jersey from New York City didn't begin until the latter 1950s. Other cities in northeastern New Jersey were dialable in 1951 (and for a few years prior) from Englewood by simply dialing the two letters of the exchange name and remaining five digits. In addition to New York City, the Nassau County part of Long Island was dialable from Englewood and Teaneck using area code 516. Also Westchester County, Rockland County, and portions of Orange and Putnam Counties were also dialable from Englewood and Teaneck in 1951 using area code 914.
  Early in the 20th century, the telephone companies organized a "Separations and Settlements" process by which Long Lines and the local companies divided the revenues of long-distance calls according to their respective costs. The mid-century advent of microwave and other high capacity systems dramatically cut the cost of long-haul operations, but pricing did not decline proportionally. Rather, the local fraction of revenue-sharing rose to subsidize local service.
caption: 32 Avenue of the Americas, New York headquarters and principal switching center of AT&T Long Lines in mid 20th century; still used in 2008
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