Based on the total number of active NPA and NXX combinations reserved and that each oneĬould have up to 10,000 possible subscriber numbers, the current total possible number of telephone numbers is 1,699,140,000. Like area codes, not all prefixes are currently in use.įinally, the final 4 digits of the phone number are known as the subscriber or local number. Various telephoneĬarriers will reserve blocks of telephone numbers by reserving an NXX within an area code. The NXX is also known as the prefix or exchange. The next three digits of a landline number or cellphone number are called the NXX. Also, not all area codes are currently in use.
#714 area code code
For instance, area code 800 (commonly referred to as 800-numbers) is reserved for toll free calls where the called party is charged instead While the system was developed in the 40s, direct dialing of long distance did not begin until the early 50s. NPA codes are more commonly referred to as area codes. NPA codes were developed by AT&T and the Bell System to divide the coverage area into "number plan areas" (abbreviated NPA). The basic format of a phone number in any of these countries is NPA-NXX-XXXX or (NPA) NXX-XXXX.Īrea codes came into use during the early 1940s. NANPA organizes the allocation of area codes and telephone prefixes to various phone companies. North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA). In the US and its territories, Canada, and the Caribbean, the organization and allocation of telephone numbers is governed by the