How many telephone numbers are being used in the world?

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Request for Question Clarification by cynthia-ga on 30 May 2005 15:29 PDT

Do you want the figure to include cell phones? How recent do you want
the estimate to be? I found an estimate for 2001, but nothing recent,
and, there is no source for the estimate, although it is in several
places..

~~Cynthia

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Clarification of Question by spunzamboni-ga on 31 May 2005 07:04 PDT

Hi Cynthia,

Thanks for your searching!  An estimate for 2001 is recent enough. I
would prefer to include cell phones, but I would accept it without
them.  If you could provide links to the sources for your estimate
that would help too.

Thanks again,
John

Hi John,

Thanks for the reply!  I found a recent estimate for cell phones that
can be added to landlines.

1.5 billion cell phones/numbers
1.2 billion landline numbers
____________________________

2.7 billion TOTAL


The estimate is 1.2 billion landline telephone numbers in the world,
found in several places on the Internet (see below)

Newsweek estimated in June 2004 that there are 1.5 billion cell phones
in the world.

Newsweek
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5092826/site/newsweek/

this search string: "1.2 billion legacy telephone numbers"  -- can be
found many places:
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=ig&q=1.2+billion+legacy+telephone+numbers&btnG=Google+Search
Although I saw the 1.2 billion number in a 2001 article, the THIRD
link at the Google Results above cited the 1.2 billion figure as
coming from "The October 11, 1999 issue of Business Week"

"Legacy Telephone Service" is described here:

Telecom Fundamentals: Telephony Networking
http://www.globalknowledge.com/training/course.asp?PageID=9&catid=&courseid=867&country=United+States&pagetype=outline&methodid=c


I hope these numbers will help you!

Sincerely,
~~Cynthia-ga

Answered very well.  Considered giving four star rating only because I
wasn't being that picky about research details.  All in all I am very
satisfied with the service.  Thanks.