Clive D. W. Feather wrote to uk.transport.london on Mon, 3 Jan 2005:

No such plans (I really can't see London needing more than 80 million
phone *numbers*).

I can - although now we have broadband, the idea of two lines per
household, one for the computer and one for the phone, isn't going to
happen - although what about one's television, which increasingly needs
to use the phone lines to pay for download movies & so on?

The thing is, it's as well to have that capacity in reserve - after all,
40 years ago, who could have guessed where telecomms would be today.
Even 20 years ago, when the first mobile phones came out, who would have
guessed that they'd be so cheap and affordable that 90% of the
population would have one?
--
"Mrs Redboots"
http://www.amsmyth.demon.co.uk/
Website updated 2 January 2005