AT&T To Eliminate Prerecorded Time

As of Sept. 19, California residents will no longer be able to make a phone call to hear the correct time. AT&T is reportedly canceling the service in California, citing outdated technologies.

California and Nevada are the last states where AT&T provides the free service. By the end of this month only Nevada will be left.

Electronic telephone equipment that automatically conveys the time to callers is breaking down and can no longer be fixed or replaced, according to John Britton, an AT&T spokesman. The proliferation of household sources for the correct time, such as computers, cell phones, and televisions, has diminished the need for the time number, Britton said.

By discontinuing the time calls in California, the phone company will gain 300,000 new telephone numbers previously reserved for the service. After Sept. 19, a message saying the service is no longer available will play for one year.