| In this article we're going to discuss just some of the | | | | But restricted numbers are not the main problem we |
| many problems faced when issuing telephone | | | | are faced with issuing phone numbers to customers. |
| numbers to the general public. | | | | The problems only begin there. |
| Anyone who said that you can't ever have too much | | | | Aside from the fact that more people have phones |
| of a good thing obviously never had to issue telephone | | | | today and there are more people in the world to have |
| numbers to an exploding population. | | | | phones, people today as a family have more phone |
| Back in the good old days when the telephone was | | | | numbers. |
| first invented there weren't that many people who | | | | For example, as recently even as the 1970s, a family |
| even had one. For that matter, there weren't that | | | | of 4 had one phone number. Oh they may have had |
| many people period. Take New York City, which is | | | | more than one phone in the house, such as one in the |
| one of the largest cities in the world today. The whole | | | | bedroom and one in the kitchen, but they both shared |
| population of the United States in the 1880 census was | | | | the same number. Today, a family of 4 probably has 5 |
| a little over 50 million. The population of JUST New | | | | or even 6 different phone numbers in their home. |
| York City alone today stands at over 8 million people. | | | | Aside from the main home number, in most families, |
| And that's just ONE city. | | | | each member of the family has a cell phone with each |
| As for the number of people who had phones back | | | | one having a different number. Aside from that, since |
| then, well it was a very small percentage to say the | | | | many people do work from their homes today, they |
| least. Less than 10% of the people in the United States | | | | also have either a fax number of a separate line |
| had phones. Today, almost everybody has a phone | | | | installed for an Internet connection. |
| unless they live in a cave. The truth is, today you just | | | | So the number of phones per household has |
| can't live without a phone. And for each person who | | | | increased by a factor of 5 or 6. As a result issuing |
| has a phone that's one more phone number that has | | | | numbers has become a nightmare. States are having |
| to be given out. | | | | to break up into more area code segments. For |
| With the current phone system of 10 numbers, 3 for | | | | example, in the 1960s, New Jersey had just 2 area |
| the area code and 7 for the number itself, that gives | | | | codes, 201 and 609. Today we now have 201, 908, |
| us a finite number of phone numbers that can be | | | | 732, 976 and 609. And still, New Jersey is running out |
| issued. Granted, mathematically we shouldn't run out of | | | | of numbers. And this problem is happening all over. |
| numbers if you just apply pure mathematics. But then | | | | And it will only get worse. With the increasing number |
| you have to take into account that certain numbers | | | | of ways to use a phone (throw aways) the number of |
| can't be used. For example, because of information | | | | phone numbers that will be needed will only continue to |
| and emergency service numbers in the United States | | | | increase. |
| (411 and 911) no area codes can begin with those | | | | The 13 digit phone number may be closer to reality |
| numbers and no phone exchanges can begin with | | | | than you think. |
| those numbers. | | | | |