Talk:Area code

Removed "The United States is stuck with 3 digit area codes, because it was one of the first countries to have area codes and is so stuck with old technology." because it didn't sound NPOV and IMO was not correct.

Perhaps it ought to have said that fixed number of digits in the area code or that the subscribers number is fixed at 7 digits and can not be extended to 8 digits as has been done recently in London. See ["http://www.lincmad.com/whynot8.html"].

I haven't heard of the plan that was described for adding a 9; if this exists, I believe it is at most still a proposal.

Somewhere this article should explain (better) why NPAs fill up.

Personally, I think we should think about unallocating unused numbers, usused being any number which is not published for dial-in. For example, many companies have a block of numbers in a roll-over group, of which they only use one. Modems used for dial-out only. Perhaps (to make the phone companies happy) we could charge for having a number. But for now in most cases the telcos don't differentiate between a circuit and a phone number (T1s and other high volume circuits being the exception).

Eventually I'd like to see the numbers we have to remember reduced, perhaps by some form of global LDAP style service enabled from phone sets. Instead of having to remember (or ever know) Fred's number at work, I just press the speed dial button on my phone for fred@work and if the phone doesn't know the number it looks it up.

- Justfred