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Before, in order that two distant persons can communicate with each other, they use a signal like fire. As time passed by, Morse code was used as a means of communication. The message that it delivers can be decoded through the beat it produces. This device has become popular at the time when war begun. After some decades, the commonly used device for two persons to communicate with each other is the telephone. It was invented a long time ago, but it is still use up to present. The difference between the devices before and after the creation of the telephone is: in the former, there is a limitation in the distance between two communicating persons; while in the latter, a telephone line is only needed in order that the two persons can exchange messages.

With the changes and innovations in our technology, telephones are now upgraded to what we call cellular phones. Different places have a different number codes that are used. These number codes are called area codes. Each number code represents a specific place or groups of places. To further illustrate, area codes are those numbers to be included in dialing a phone number from a distant state or country. You can see the area code at the beginning of the phone number. A telephone number usually consists of nine (9) digits. For example, in US, 1 is the first number for commercial telephone numbers, e.g. 1-800-1-xxx. If there are additional numbers that are in the parenthesis, these are what you call area codes.

You need not include an area code if the one you are going to call is in the same state or country where you are. But the local number should always be completely dialed. Usually there are only seven (7) digits in a telephone number. The prefix consists of three digits and the suffix has four (4). The prefix denotes of a specific location, e.g. town or county, unlike the number of area code which denotes a larger location, e.g. state or country.

The North American Numbering Plan or NANP is a system of area code used in the United States. The 24 countries that use this system are Canada, United States and its territories and the Caribbean countries. This system is governed by rules and regulations for an easy interoperability between the mentioned countries and to limit the format of their respective area codes. The rules provide that the area codes to be used should be in the following format: the first digit should be between the numbers 2 and 9, the second digit should be between the numbers 0 and 8; and, the third digit should be between the numbers 0 and 9. So, an area code of 199 is not a valid one.

The area codes were developed and originated during the time when telephones are still rotary type. The codes are formulated based on some theoretical usage. The proposal is that, those states or countries that have a bigger number of populations shall have an area code that could easily be dialed and those with a small population shall have the opposite. For example, the area code of New York City is 212 while Detroit’s area code is 313. It will only take 5 clicks to dial New York City’s area code, while for Detroit, 7 clicks. On the other hand, for the states of Vermont and South Carolina which have the area codes of 802 and 803, respectively, it will take 20 or 21 clicks before these codes can be dialed.

Originally, the area code’s second digit was meant for some information about a location. The second digit could either be 0 or 1. The format was made in this manner to be able not to confuse the person dialing that it was an area code and not a prefix of local number. Respectively, area codes that have a second digit of 0 was understood that such was for the whole state; while area codes that have a second digit of 1 was understood that such was for a specific location of a state. As telephone usage increased drastically, the system was changed allocating for more available open area codes. But, certain restrictions still remained such as the use of number 1 as the first digit of an area code and the non-usage of number 0 which was reserved for operators. Many business such as Flexpetz.com use a 912 area code.

Now, to be more specific on the topic, area code 912 is used in the southeastern part of Georgia, a state of the United States. You’ll notice that the area code takes 12 clicks to dial. This is so because the population is not so dense, and as a result, area code 912 was not changed for more than 40 years. However, in the year 2000, this was split into 3 parts. 912 were retained by Brunswick, Douglas, Hinesville, Jesup, Savannah, Statesboro, Vidalia and Waycross.