I decided to try something fun and called a phone number from a business that hasn't existed since the 80s. When I called, I heard a flat tone, kind of like a higher-pitched dial tone. My phone still showed that it was dialing, but eventually, the call dropped. I also tried calling a few other old businesses. Some gave me the same tone, others said it was an invalid number, and a couple had a busy line tone. It's kind of puzzling, and I can't find any info about it. Anyone know why this happens? If you're curious to test it yourself, the number is 616-878-1521.
3 Answers
I agree, it could be a dial-up modem sound. A lot of those old lines were around before modems really became a thing, so it's possible you're hearing something nostalgic from the past.
If you're getting a busy tone that's faster than usual, that could mean it’s a reorder signal. It might indicate that there was an issue connecting, possibly due to network congestion or that the line's inactive.
Sounds like your phone might be connecting to a fax machine! That number has probably been reassigned, or maybe it's an old line still active but for a different purpose.
Yeah, it does have that fax machine vibe, but it's strange it doesn't get past the initial tone. Makes you wonder what's really on that line!
Exactly! It’s kind of wild to think about how these lines were used way before our digital age.