If telephone numbers in the us are only up to 10 digits for regular calls how is this possible with 300 millio

Question

or so people? I mean 300,000,000 is about 9 digits and now people have like two phones? I sense a conspiracy here...

Answer 1

area code

prefix

phone or line number

each one alone is limited, then as you add another identifier they allow greater diversity and finally you get UID's that do in one sense duplicate but they are separated by region.

123-4567 can be in NY 212 and Chicago 312 and LA 213.

simple huh.

Answer 2

They are called area codes idiot.

Answer 3

there is a varity of area codes

eg

416-001-0001

647-001-0001

are 2 differnt numbers but the area code (first 3) digits are different

teh actual way of dialing is the number (last 7 numbers) u just add the area code so it is easoer to find the exact phone..

international code-country code-city code(some counties have this)- and fianlly the number

Answer 4

They don't each have a land phone.  If, for instance, there are 4 in a family, then there might be just one phone. You would have to reduce the 300 million to no more than 100 million I think.

Even including double phone numbers and faxes (many people use the same number for their fax).

Mathematically, 10 digits gives an enormous number of combinations. If you had asked this in the maths section, I'm sure a number of people would have given you exactly how many combinations are possible. Not being too strong on maths, I can't help you there.

Answer 5

there's ten digits per phone.  A choice of ten numbers per digit.  That means there are 10,000,000,000 possible combinations total.  In each area code, there are 10,000,000 possible combinations.  Not every person has two phones.  Actually, people are starting to get less phones.  With all-in-one printers that fax, a fax number isn't needed.  (You don't NEED a different number for your fax machine.)  Also, many people are getting rid of their land based phones and using their mobile for their home phone.  Don't worry, there's plenty of phone numbers left.