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The history of telephone numbers in America dates back to the late 19th century. The first telephone numbers were used in 1879 in Lowell, Massachusetts, when they replaced the request for subscriber names by callers connecting to the switchboard operator.
The Telephone Museum states the first use of telephone numbers were at Lowell, Massachusetts. The Lowell Historical Society confirms Dr. Moses Greeley Parker invented telephone numbers in Lowell. The University of Massachusetts Lowell documents that the first city to use telephone numbers was Lowell.
On September 1, 1879, the first telephone exchange with assigned telephone numbers was established in Lowell, making it the earliest instance of a numbered telephone system in the United States.
At the time, telephone numbers were very short, typically consisting of two or three digits. As the number of telephone subscribers grew, it became necessary to lengthen telephone numbers. In the early 1900s, telephone numbers were typically five or six digits long.
In the beginning, which was in 1879, a mere three years after Alexander Graham Bell made the first phone call, the Lowell (Massachusetts) District Telephone Company hired teenage boys to run the switchboard.
In 1947, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) established the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). The NANP standardized telephone numbers across North America and assigned each geographic area a three-digit area code.
The first three digits of a telephone number are now the area code, followed by a seven-digit local number. The NANP has been modified several times over the years to accommodate the growth of the telephone network. In 1963, the first area codes were introduced in Canada.
In 1986, the first area codes were introduced in Mexico. In 1994, the NANP was expanded to include the Caribbean. Today, the NANP is used in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. There are currently 867 area codes in the NANP, including 832 area codes in the United States.
Telephone numbers have played an important role in American history. They have helped to connect people across the country and have made it possible for people to communicate quickly and easily. Telephone numbers are now an essential part of American life.
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