Issues with area codes in Atlanta metro?!? (Alpharetta: condo, area code)

[Fubarbundy]

Originally Posted by lorilove

I agree - Get Over It - most of us did over 10 years ago.

As for the number of area codes - more phone numbers are used because instead of one home phone number a family of 4 could easily have 4 numbers or more if you have a cell number for each person.

But numbers also run out because some numbers are reserved and the method in which they assign numbers waste a bunch. The used to issue numbers in blocks of 10,000 (they may still). So if you were a company that wanted everyone to have an exchange that started with 353-xxxx, you were reserved 353-0000 through 353-9999. So if you were a small company that only needed 100 numbers, you wasted 9,900 numbers. Hence we have a lot of wasted numbers.

Didn't realize that about the block of numbers, but it makes sense that there are some in reserve which may never become individually available.

No worries, my contacts are names, the numbers are just digits.

[cwkimbro]

Too many numbers... more area codes are necessary.

Between cell phones, home phones, business phone lines, and numbers used by apps.... they are necessary.

I'm holding onto my 404 number that I have had for a very long time, but I agree with the sentiment that over time the importance of what your area code is is decreasing. So many people keep their life long cell phone numbers and move around so much, it hardly matters.

One thing to spot out, the 404 area code was the original area code for the whole state of Georgia, then later just North Georgia, then later just metro Atlanta, and then eventually just the city and inner suburbs. It is also heavily filled with cell phone lines. When they first made the 770 area code be the outer suburbs and 404 be inner suburbs, the outer areas had more homes and more rapid growth... So many people with cell phone numbers going back to the era will have a 404 number.

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by cwkimbro

Too many numbers... more area codes are necessary.

Between cell phones, home phones, business phone lines, and numbers used by apps.... they are necessary.

I'm holding onto my 404 number that I have had for a very long time, but I agree with the sentiment that over time the importance of what your area code is is decreasing. So many people keep their life long cell phone numbers and move around so much, it hardly matters.

One thing to spot out, the 404 area code was the original area code for the whole state of Georgia, then later just North Georgia, then later just metro Atlanta, and then eventually just the city and inner suburbs. It is also heavily filled with cell phone lines. When they first made the 770 area code be the outer suburbs and 404 be inner suburbs, the outer areas had more homes and more rapid growth... So many people with cell phone numbers going back to the era will have a 404 number.

I got a 404 cell number as a Marietta resident when it still held some panache and thought I had scored a coup. Held on to it for those same reasons but those reasons as you mentioned don't hold much weight in this day and age. Toyed with keeping it when I came to Texas but decided a Texas number was better to have here as I am in sales. I did opt for a 214 number for the same reasons, it is the original Dallas area code, others have proliferated here as well.

[JoeTarheel]

404 identifies Atlanta like 212 for NYC or 202 for DC, so it is still nice to have 404 for that recognition. Even though area codes aren't a big deal anymore, 404 feels prestigious for some reason - like you're a real Atlantan or something.

[Tarzanman]

212 is renowned as a Manhattan area code.... that is why it is so coveted.

[arjay57]

I am okay with 10 digit dialing, especially now that caller ID is so common.

I once lived in a small town where they still had an operator. You'd call your friend, and the operator might come on the line and say, "They're not home right now."

[space cadet]

Anyone over the age of 40 remembers when everything north of Macon was area code 404. I believe the requirement to dial the area code on all calls began in the late 90's.

That concludes our history lesson for today. Remember to read Chapter 4 in your Useless Telephone History textbook tonight. There will be a quiz tomorrow.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by space cadet

Anyone over the age of 40 remembers when everything north of Macon was area code 404. I believe the requirement to dial the area code on all calls began in the late 90's.

That concludes our history lesson for today. Remember to read Chapter 4 in your Useless Telephone History textbook tonight. There will be a quiz tomorrow.

Heck, I'm not even 30 and remember the 404-only years.

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by space cadet

That concludes our history lesson for today. Remember to read Chapter 4 in your Useless Telephone History textbook tonight. There will be a quiz tomorrow.

On a Friday? C'mon it's college night downtown.

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by Tarzanman

212 is renowned as a Manhattan area code.... that is why it is so coveted.

Yep, that's what I was talking about. It's recognizable as NYC/Manhattan similar to 404 being recognizable as Atlanta. People outside of GA often recognize my cell # as being from Atlanta where they probably wouldn't recognize 770 or 678. Lots of people covet those classic, well-known area codes for larger cities - 305 Miami, 202 DC, etc. The original area codes established in the 40s are normally the ones most associated with the big cities. A lot of the splits (like 770) began to happen in the late 80s and 90s due to population increases and a dwindling supply of numbers.