Is the Area Code Obsolete?

The latest legislation which allows telephone numbers to be portable may have a more profound effect than most have thought. The obvious is now you can transfer your home phone number to a cell phone or visa versa.

How is this going to affect long distant charges? Right now it’s a big deal, but in 15 to 20 years when there are just as many 530’s in the 206 area code at there are 206s. It’s mind boggling to think about how phone numbers can receive a phone call outside of their native area code.

Right now I am in Seattle with a 530 (California) area code. Why change? All my friends, family and job applications have this number. As wireless communication proliferates through our society changing phone numbers to reflect where you live will become nonexistent. My current service, I don’t get charged long distant fees until my minutes run out. Then I am hit with a double whammy because I pay for long distant charges and air time.

The real wild card is how VoIP is going to affect the telecommunication industry. This technology has been around for years, but it’s just starting to mature. It’s at a point where the mainstream population is picking it up.

Telecommunication is on the door step of the next evolution. Where it goes from here is anyone’s guess. It will be determined by legislation and consumers.