[Asterisk-Users] The internet needs a dialing code..

[John Todd]

>It seems to me that ITSP's like to use a US dialing code eg 1-xxx
>
>Wouldn't it be cool to have an Internet dialing code??
>
>I don't know what the structures are or how the allocations work but 
>it would be so cool to know that 1-xxx was USA , 44-xxx was UK and 
>yy-xxx was an internet phone.. That way the whole internet phone 
>space could be consolidated into a single dialing structure and as 
>VoIP takes over the world there will be a single dialing standard 
>for the whole world..
>
>The trick would be the allocation of the xxx part because when there 
>are 10 000 ITSP's one day the 5 digit number will be a pain in the 
>butt.. the system would also have to be fair with everyone getting a 
>4 digit number so you won't get people fighting over the single 
>digits.. Maybe using longitude and latitude of the ITSP would be the 
>easiest or some other planetary grid reference system..
>
>Anyway it was just a thought I had..
>
>Later..

In the NANP (North America) I have heard it said by a NANP member 
(board member?  I don't remember his actual title) that there will 
"never, ever be an Internet-only area code."  Now, this could change, 
of course, since he was only one person.  There are already area 
codes for "special" uses, such as area code 500, which could be 
converted for use via ENUM delegation.  This is up for discussion, 
and requires lots of political wrangling by people who are (for the 
most part) led by TDM-based ILEC/RBOC/IXC interests (which are 
assuredly in opposition to VoIP initiatives.)

Internationally, there is already an officially sanctioned country 
code for Universal Telecommunications Services, and it's +878.  There 
is quite a bit of activity now in moving that area code from the ITU 
sanctioning (which happened a few weeks ago) and now moving towards 
commercial implementation.

There are a few people on this list would would be better suited to 
speak on this than myself (<cough>Otmar<cough>) but I have high hopes 
for seeing a commercially available +878 number allocation 
registrar(s) available by summer of 2004, perhaps earlier.

JT