611 vs *611

[mimmo]

I have always called 611 for cell support.  Recently I have noticed a move from calling it call 611 to call *611. 

Just wondering if anyone knows why we are now saying dial *611 instead of dial 611?  have both always worked?  are they trying to phase out 611 and replace it with *611?    

[computergeek541]

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@mimmo wrote:

I have always called 611 for cell support.  Recently I have noticed a move from calling it call 611 to call *611. 

Just wondering if anyone knows why we are now saying dial *611 instead of dial 611?  have both always worked?  are they trying to phase out 611 and replace it with *611?    

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I've never tried on Public Mobile, but I've been customers of almost every carrier in the country at one time or another, and from what I recall, both 611 and *611 work interchangably.  The exception to this has always been Wind Mobile/Freedom Mobile.  For Freedom, you must dial only "611" as adding the * will make the call fail.

[will13am]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phEtATUR5Uk

[JL9]

Yeah, at this point anyways, there really is no difference between the two

[austinhuang]

There is no difference.

611 without * is like 311, 511, 911, etc. as a special service number. Telus service guides in Yellow Pages use 611.

Some add * because they treat it as a normal short code (For example, Surête du Québec is reachable by XXX-310-4141 which is shortened to *4141). They are for cell phones only.

[Luddite]

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@mimmo wrote:

I have always called 611 for cell support.  Recently I have noticed a move from calling it call 611 to call *611. 

Just wondering if anyone knows why we are now saying dial *611 instead of dial 611?  have both always worked?  are they trying to phase out 611 and replace it with *611?    

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Only the Shadow Knows. Either seems to work. 👻

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