"identifiers" just means "area code", they're not wasted As a user of this numbering system, this is how it generally looks like: Landline numbers are dialed

"identifiers" just means "area code", they're not wasted As a user of this numbering system, this is how it generally looks like: Landline numbers are dialed 0 - prefix to dial outside my area code XX(X) - area code XXX-XXXX - phone number Mobile phones are 0 - prefix 70/80/90 - "mobile phones" area code XXXX-XXXX - phone number Since every number starts with a 0, you don't think of it as part of the number. Without the 0, most landlines are 9 numbers long and mobile phones are 10 numbers. When you're calling between landlines in the same area code, you only need 7 numbers. The largest issue is the death of landlines and the rise of mobile phones. Lots of area codes dedicated to landlines when landlines are dying. The NANP (north american numbering plan) is basically the only place in the world where cell phones get put into regular geographic area codes, due to the way cell phones are billed there (in the rest of the world, receiving calls on a cell phone is free, the caller pays the extra fees)