2021-06-30

Area Codes Become Exhausted

Coolpad Snap cell phone    
I just got a new cell phone. It's a 'Coolpad Snap' and it's manufacture originates in gd China. From the various domestic literature sources I get that it's a 'senior' phone, i.e., designed for the less than technical old farts such as myself.

WHell ... at first glance this may appear reasonable until you consider the fact that I maintain web and mail servers in a room set aside for that purpose in my home — and act as my own ISP on the internet for quite a number of years now ... and my technical background is LAN, WAN, Client-Server, AI, 4GLs, and expert systems.

Suffice it to say that my desire not to live vicariously though some smart phone engaged in web browsing and social gd media is my only qualifying aspect for wanting a flip phone with no data. I get enough computing at my workstation which is a dual monitor I7 with all the trimmings ... but I digress.

Upon registration of the cell phone I noticed that the area code appeared as '839' and my knee jerk reaction was the cell phone company got it wrong and uh oh I don't get to use the phone for yet another while.

Researching the matter revealed that yes, the 803 area code has become exhausted for the assignment of new numbers and this necessitated the advent of the 839 area code which is quite valid in the state and is in use from North Augusta to Rock Hill.

    Area Codes in South Carolina
Furthermore, we have yet another area code rapidly approaching exhaustion, but it has a few years remaining prior to the need for yet another to be set in place. I imagine other jurisdictions have similar area code insufficiency issues both pending and existing.

Needless to say, I have been volunteering explanations when I get quizzical reactions from those who need the number.

Yeah, I don't like smart phone internet access like so many of my peers. I'm on the phone to yap and that is all. Unlimited minutes and unlimited text should nail that requirement quite nicely. When I had a smart phone I would browse the web on occasion but it lost it's allure very early in the process.

I have enough tech going on otherwise that nobody needs to think I'm low tech over my choice of cell phones, thank you very much.