IRLP WORLDWIDE 5 DIGIT NUMBERING PLAN                WB4APR, 28 March 2002
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Back in FEB I proposed a 4 digit worldwide numbering scheme for IRLP nodes
but even that won't be enough in the long run in dense areas.  So here is
my new proposed 5  digit numbering scheme:
 
It is modeled after the phone company approach.  
Since the world is already separated into 10 regions of reasonably equal
population density according to the first digit of their Country Telephone
Phone codes, it makes sense to use these for IRLP nodes as well.  Thus we
approach our future IRLP needs with this 5 digit numbering plan:
 
"CRSXX"  
 
    "C" is the country code (see table below which comes from the ITU)
    "R" is a regional digit (In USA, Canada, Russia it is callsign region)
        In other continents, it is the second digit of the Country code.
    "S" is a state or other sub division within the region
    "X" are final assignment digits
 
COUNTRY CODES:
        0 - Canada
        1 - USA
        2 - Africa
        3 - Southern Europe
        4 - Northern Europe, UK
        5 - Central and South America, Mexico
        6 - Pacific, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, etc
        7 - Russia
        8 - East Asia, China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, etc
        9 - Middle East, India, etc
 
REGIONAL DIGIT is assigned to a major region with each country digit.
Here is a suggested assignment of the REGION digit within each of the
country codes above.  For example, In the USA(1) the next digit of "3"
means the FCC third callsign district.  This works well for the USA,
CANADA and RUSSIA.  For all other countries, simply use the second digit
of the telepone Country code.  For example, in Southern Europe(3) the
regional digit of "9" means Italy(39) in any phone book, "4" is Spain(34)
and so forth.
 
For Country 0 - Canada    use Callsign district
For Country 1 - USA       use Callsign district
For Country 2 - Africa    use Second digit of telephone country code
For Country 3 - S.Europe  use Second digit of telephone country code
For Country 4 - N.Europe  use Second digit of telephone country code
For Country 5 - S.America use Second digit of telephone country code
For Country 6 - Pacific   use Second digit of telephone country code
For Country 7 - Russia    use Callsign district
For Country 8 - E.Asia    use Second digit of telephone country code
For Country 9 - Mideast   use Second digit of telephone country code
 
Assigments for further dubdivisions should be done at the local level,
although I would prefer to see a common approach.  Such an approach might
be to assign subregions in a clockwise fashion starting at the top.  This
way people can much more easily visualize the area they are talking to.
Here is a proposal for the "S" digit for the 3rd call area
 
For "13XXX"   (Maryland, Deleware and Pennsylvania 3rd call district)
 
     30XX Delaware
     31XX E. Maryland
     32XX S. Maryland
     33XX C. Maryland
     34XX W. Maryland
     35XX W. PA
     36XX N. PA
     37XX E. PA
     38XX S. PA
     39XX Washington DC
 
Anyone else want to propose such a circular (clockwise) approach for the
other areas?  Starting in their upper right corner and moving clockwise?
 
FURTHER, I feel that trailing digits must be allowed and delivered end-to-
end for a variety of purposes.  First all, it allows for selective calling
and or additional signallling or control for all manner of neat ideas.  So
this system defines worldwide unique 5 digit IRLP numbers, but allows for
a number of additional OPTIONAL trailing digits for whatever we think up
next.  (probably PL).  For example, 13101107 would dial the 13101 IRLP in 
Eastern Maryland and cause the controller there to send out a PL of 107 to 
which MY HT will allow me to hear the call.  I  would label this capability
as the 5+PL IRLP signalling system...

de WB4APR, Bob