Some Newport Callers Must Dial ‘00’ for Long-Distance Operator

As part of a series of changes in telephone service, some Newport Beach residents now must dial “00” to reach long-distance operators.

The switch, brought about by the court-ordered breakup of the Bell system in 1984, will have Pacific Bell handle all local operator assistance calls--made by dialing “0”--while AT&T; will handle all long-distance assistance. The change, already in effect for about 66,000 residents of Santa Ana, Mission Viejo and El Toro, will be phased in gradually and go into effect statewide by June 30.

On Monday, Newport Beach residents whose telephone numbers begin with 631, 642, 645 and 650 were added to the new system. Another 36,000 Bell customers in Anaheim--those with prefixes 491, 520, 535, 758, 772, 774, 776, 778 and 999--will be added Wednesday.

In addition to the change in operator-assistance calls, Pacific Bell has raised the price of local calls to areas more than 17 miles away. For example, a residential customer in Anaheim making a one-minute daytime call to the Saddleback Valley will be charged 23 cents rather than the old 10-cent charge, according to a Pacific Bell spokesman.