Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

A split -- all numbers within a certain geographical area change area codes

15 (29.4%)

An overlay -- existing numbers keep the same area code but new numbers get the new area code

25 (49%)

Matters not to me

11 (21.6%)

Total Members Voted: 51

[kphoger]

Old number can be kept to cell line in many cases, but new numbers would be new. That will eventually dilute area code identity without too much drama - or what else can you do? Collecting crumbs of non-assigned numbers across the area is only that efficient. So spreading out impact over time is the best bet IMHO.

Can you even collect them by the crumb?  At least, the way it used to be is that numbers were assigned to carriers in blocks.  That is to say, XYZ Phone Company can't just be assigned 123-555-2010, 123-555-6116, and 123-555-9924 from LMNO Phone Company.  Rather, they can be assigned 123-555-2010 through 123-555-2210, minus whatever numbers are already in use somewhere.  If a customer drops a number, then that number stays assigned to the same provider until it gets assigned to a new customer with the same provider later.  With increased portability, it's possible things have changed, but I'm not sure.

But anyway, I agree that 'area code identity' should be no basis for making area code changes, and that overlays are probably the best system to use.

[kalvado]

Old number can be kept to cell line in many cases, but new numbers would be new. That will eventually dilute area code identity without too much drama - or what else can you do? Collecting crumbs of non-assigned numbers across the area is only that efficient. So spreading out impact over time is the best bet IMHO.

Can you even collect them by the crumb?  At least, the way it used to be is that numbers were assigned to carriers in blocks.  That is to say, XYZ Phone Company can't just be assigned 123-555-2010, 123-555-6116, and 123-555-9924 from LMNO Phone Company.  Rather, they can be assigned 123-555-2010 through 123-555-2210, minus whatever numbers are already in use somewhere.  If a customer drops a number, then that number stays assigned to the same provider until it gets assigned to a new customer with the same provider later.  With increased portability, it's possible things have changed, but I'm not sure.

But anyway, I agree that 'area code identity' should be no basis for making area code changes, and that overlays are probably the best system to use.

There may be defunct companies who didn't release their blocks properly, there may be subblocks within assigned block  company will be willing to release. Minimum assignment block was also reduced, AFAIK, so technically at least something is possible  Is it cost efficient? 
I don't know, I suspect not really worth it.

[ilpt4u]

Charging a bit for  THE number may be a good way for phone companies to make some money, if that is legal. To some extent this is similar to vanity license plates - those who want can pay a bit more, but things work  for everyone else as well.

I thought charges could be applied to get mostly unavailable numbers, like a 212 (original Manhattan area code, which was out of numbers 20 years ago). Could have sworn I read there is a way to ”buy” a 212 number

[kphoger]

There may be defunct companies who didn't release their blocks properly, there may be subblocks within assigned block  company will be willing to release. Minimum assignment block was also reduced, AFAIK, so technically at least something is possible  Is it cost efficient? 
I don't know, I suspect not really worth it.

You mean that a block of numbers from a defunct company aren't automatically dropped back into the pool?  I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

As for sub-blocks, I'm sure there are some that providers would be willing to release.  But then that gets at your cost-efficiency question.  While the man-hours required to release a number from one provider back into the pool and out again is theoretically small, who would be ones to identify which sub-blocks those are?  And how often would they do that scrubbing?  And do we really assume the release would go seamlessly every time?  The cost-efficiency just seems to drop further and further the more I think about it.

[golden eagle]

Overlay, due to no real disruption to active phone numbers.

[abefroman329]

Between cell phones and VOIP, overlay seems to make a lot more sense.