On Apr 2, 6:07*pm, "Adam H. Kerman" wrote:

I don't know if AT&T ever reserved area codes to any other countries for
future expansion of NANP.

Back in the _1960s_ AT&T recognized the existing area code/NNX
framework (0/1 for area codes, 2-9 NNXs) would run out and began to
program switches so that most three digit numbers could be an area
code or an exchange (as it is today). This was long before they were
actually assigned.

I can only guess the following:

--Back then I doubt AT&T envisioned where competing local companies
would eat up blocks of numbers, that cell phone usage would explode as
it did, or that direct-inward-dialing would explode as it did. All of
those eat up numbers.

--Perhaps they intended to use the extra area codes as foreign country
codes.


I suspect they anticipated cell phones would encourage lots of people
to get them for their automobiles--which was the original concept--but
not that each and every member of a family, even little kids, would
have one.