Here in the Phoenix area they just went through this process.  The majority
of the people wanted the geopgraphical split (which we got).  We still have
to dial 10 digits.  We added 2 more area codes.  They are suppose to be
working now, but I have problems with mine (480).  Give MaBell a few years
and we will be charged long distance to call outside our own area code.
But at least we know what part of town we are calling with the geographical
split.

L.A. Barnes


Gavin Scott wrote:

> Jim writes:
> > What do you think of these two options?
>
> Personally I think overlays are much better, though most people hate
> them because they don't want to be forced to dial 10 digits all the
> time.
>
> But if you keep splitting, eventually you'll have to dial all ten
> digits almost all the time anyway as "areas" get smaller and smaller.
>
> And eventually you'll be on the "wrong" side of a split and all your
> phone numbers will change, which means new stationary, sending everyone
> change of address notifications etc., and there's no guarantee that
> this won't happen again a year or two later.
>
> Once your area makes the transition from splits to overlays, then you
> will probably get to keep your current phone numbers forever (or at
> least until we need more than 10 digits, but even then they'll probably
> extend the area code somehow and most of your number will remain the
> same).
>
> The world (well, the US in this case) is moving towards 10 digit phone
> numbers.  Splits just put off the inevitable, while overlays eliminate
> the worry about future changes.
>
> Here in the Bay Area(tm), we already have so many area codes that even
> local area calls are to a different area code the majority of the time,
> so having to dial the area code for same-area code numbers is already
> simpler.  You drive for a few minutes in any direction and you're into
> a new area code, where knowing 7 digit numbers won't do you any good
> if you need to make a call from there, so you might as well think of
> the area code as just part of the number.
>
> I've long since given up thinking of the area code as a different part
> of the phone number.  You can't even tell what *time zone* a number is
> in any more from the area code since there are so many of them and new
> ones show up so often.
>
> G.