That's it exactly.

That's true. There's no way of knowing (as a member fo the general public)
whether the number you're calling in the united states is a wired phone or
a mobile one.

While some prefixes (the abc portion in xxx-abc-nnnn) are "owned", for
want of a better term, by mobile operators, even that's no longer a
reliable method. We've had "number portablity" for a year now, in which
people can take their phone number - whether it was on a cellphone or a
wired one - and move from one carrier to another.

NOTE that to you, as a caller, it doesn't make the same difference as it
would in Europe. Calls to (almost) all phone numbers in the US cost you
the same. There's NO extra charge to call a cellular customer.

The US is very different from Europe in this regard.

You can find some information here:
http://www.fonefinder.net/index.php

When you get a cellphone in the US, you'll normally get a local area
code. It won't be easily distinguished from a landline phone in the
area. In the Pittsburgh area, for example 412-421-xxxx is a landline
in Squirrel Hill. 412-726-xxxx is a T-Mobile cellular number. Now that
there is number portability, you can convert landline to mobile and
vice-versa.

It doesn't cost extra to call a cellphone number in the US. Thus, it
doesn't really matter. The person receiving the call must pay.

Unlike Europe, where there is normally a specific rate for each kind
of call, most US carriers give you a number of minutes, and then a
per-minute charge if you go over that. Depending on your plan, you may
pay a surcharge for long distance, roaming, etc.

When you call an 800 number in the US, it costs you cellular minutes.
At least in Germany, it's free - but the 800 number owner pays _much_
more. Thus, many of them block cellular calls.

Hopefully this makes sense...

Not in the US or Canada. Here the numbers are generic numbers and are part of
the calling plan. We do not have calling party pays so it is not as important
as it is in most of the rest of the world.

And for that matter, when calling here, why do you care? The charges are not
different than calling a land line number.

--
John S.
e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net

There are no mobile only area codes.  There *are* however mobile only
number exchange prefixes.  Area code 206 with prefix 229 is a T-Mobile
prefix along with many others.  Same will be for any area where
T-Mobile has service there will be prefixes that will be for T-Mobile
though someone could have mobile service through another company since
wireless number portability has been in effect.  All other telephone
companies and wireless companies are assigned blocks of prefix codes
as well such as for AT&T Wireless, Verizon Wireless, Sprint PCS, etc.

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I'll be breaking the law, then! :-)

For the most part the prefix will dicatate whether it's a mobile or
wireline number unless the wireline number has been converted to a
wireless number through number portability.

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