We use phone numbers every day, and we’re well accustomed to dialing area codes. In fact, we’re so used to them that area codes have become part of our identity, and you may even be able to recognize where someone hails from based on their area code alone. While it’s easy to feel like area codes have been a thing forever, they’ve only been around since 1947, when AT&T designed the North American Numbering Plan (NPA). They carved up North America into 86 regions, and each region was assigned a 3-digit code. By 1990, fax machines, Internet modems, and mobile phones started booming, which led to an increased need for more area codes. Today, there are 335 area codes, with one reserved only for use by the U.S. Government. Area code 710 only has one telephone number in it: 710-627-4387 — which belongs to the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) — and a special access code is required for using it. The line is reserved for emergencies or crisis situations when network congestion reduces the probability of completing a normal call.
