Phones Revert Back to No-Number System

When telephones first moved became a presence in the world, there were no numbers used to differentiate between who you were calling, there was just a switchboard that was populated by people who needed to know who you were requesting to speak to. There are obvious flaws in this system, hence the progression of the phone number, but aren’t things reverting back to that type of system?

Despite the development of phones from something of a luxury to a standard fixture in all homes and a portable version that allows for us to stay in contact with each other constantly, the move now is to disconnect unique numbers from phones again. This is largely thanks to the internet, applications such as Skype and FaceTime now allow for phone calls to be conducted over the internet as opposed to traditional phone lines which not only means the charge is much less – at least the structure is different – but we are also able to see the other person. This second step is another step in the direction of connecting people on an ever more intimate level.

Calling people over the internet removes the need for the unique number and instead use accounts created on the host website to distinguish and then connect the two people. Thus, the telephone system is developing once again and the connection becomes a more diverse feature where the participants in the call – it is no longer limited – can do more than just talk. The sharing of features, documents, experiences and so on allows for a more fulfilling telephone experience.

Premium rate numbers are something of a sore point for a large number of people as they increase phone bills exponentially so, why is there such a need for them if we’re moving away from numbers in the traditional sense of the word? Largely because premium rate numbers make money for companies. They are another way to bring in a little more revenue because the company sets the charges for the premium rate number – they are structured in order to charge the caller a certain amount and then that is portioned out between the number owner, the company providing the phone number and the company connecting the two participants.

The range of services that benefit from premium rate numbers is endless and they have developed with the telephone system to offer appropriate services for the relevant companies. These services include numbers that are designed specifically for mobile phones so there is no confusion with regards to the charges. This of course allows for an even more diverse range of companies to benefit from premium rate numbers.