LGT FLT CREW HAD PROBLEMS WITH FREQ CHANGE AND ACFT CALL SIGN; COPIED CLRNC FOR SIMILAR SOUNDING A/N AND AFTER 3 TRIES FINALLY GOT CORRECT ARTCC SECTON AND ALT ASSIGNMENT.

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ATL DEP CLRED LGT (DEE) TO CLB TO 14000'. SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE; WHICH PROVED TO BE IN ERROR AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY GIVEN A SECOND FREQ CHANGE. THE F/O CHKED IN AS LGT (DEE) AND WE WERE CLRED TO CLB FL250. AFTER WE DEPARTED 14000' CLBING WE HEARD ACR (DDE) ON THE FREQ. BEING CLRED TO FL250. WE ASKED CENTER TO VERIFY LGT (DEE) BEING CLRED FL250. HE RESPONDED; 'AFFIRMATIVE; ACR (DDE) CLRED 250.' AT THIS POINT WE STARTED DSCNT BACK TO 14000' AND WERE GIVEN A THIRD FREQ CHANGE. THE THIRD CTLR SAID THAT WE HAD BEEN OBSERVED LEAVING 14000'; WHICH WE CONFIRMED. THE APPARENT PROB WAS AN ERRONEOUS FREQ CHANGE. NEITHER PARTY ON THE ASSIGNED FREQ WAS EXPECTING FLTS WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS (FLT #'S). NO CONFLICTING TFC WAS OBSERVED DURING THIS SCREW UP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 89682: WHEN WE CHKED INTO THE FREQ DEP GAVE US THEY ASKED US WHAT OUR POS WAS. I TOLD THEM WE WERE W OF ATL. I GAVE THEM THE R AND DME BUT I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS. THEY THEN TOLD ME TO CHK WITH CENTER ON 135.77. I DID AND SAID WE WERE MAINTAINING 14000'. CENTER THEN CLRED US TO FL250. WE BEGAN CLB. I THEN HEARD CENTER TALKING TO ACR (DDE). I BECAME CONCERNED AND ASKED CENTER TO CONFIRM OUR CLB. IT THEN BECAME APPARENT THAT WE HAD BEEN MISTAKEN FOR ACR (DDE). CENTER THEN RECLRED US TO MAINTAIN FL200 AND AFTER HE DETERMINED OUR POS HE HANDED US OFF TO THE PROPER CENTER FREQ.