What do digits in phone numbers mean?
The telephone number that you dial to call somebody is basically an address, similar to the IP address of a computer or the street address of your home. The length of the telephone number varies depending on the country you are calling. In many European countries, phone numbers are variable in length, ranging from just five or six digits in small towns to ten or more in large cities. In the United States, phone numbers are fixed-length, with a total of 10 digits. The 3-3-4 scheme, developed by AT&T in 1947, uses three blocks of numbers arranged in two blocks of three and a single block of four digits. Look at the main phone number for HowStuffWorks as we go through the meaning of the different blocks. • Area code – Regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), area codes are used to designate a specific geographic region, such as a city or part of a state.
The telephone number that you dial to call somebody is basically an address, similar to the IP address of a computer or the street address of your home. The length of the telephone number varies depending on the country you are calling. In many European countries, phone numbers are variable in length, ranging from just five or six digits in small towns to ten or more in large cities. In the United States, phone numbers are fixed-length, with a total of 10 digits. The 3-3-4 scheme, developed by AT&T in 1947, uses three blocks of numbers arranged in two blocks of three and a single block of four digits. Look at the main phone number for HowStuffWorks as we go through the meaning of the different blocks. • Area code – Regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), area codes are used to designate a specific geographic region, such as a city or part of a state.
