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Well, it's official. After a year of talks, a new phone numbering system has finally been approved. That is the new eleven digit telephone number for US phone owners. Due to the increasing number of home, business, and cell phone numbers, the country has basically run out of numbers. To rectify this situation, beginning April 1, 2008, telephone numbers will have an additional digit.

The nation's telephone lines will no longer accept seven digits for a local call and 10 for long distance. Starting April 1, all local calls must be placed to an 8-digit number and long distance US calls to an 11-digit number.

Existing phone numbers will have a zero added to the end and will be added to a database of pre-eleven phone numbers. Assurance has been made that the transition should be smooth with no major problems or snags foreseen.

Sharawn Kint, spokeswoman for the 11-digit project, announced in a press conference this morning, "Current phone owners and users should do nothing different other than adding a zero to the phone numbers that they dial."

Kint went on to state that these changes will affect only the 49 inland states and D.C. on April 8, 2008. Changes and updates to Hawaii and the US territories currently using the 10-digit phone system will be updated at a later time.

According to Kint, some smaller towns have already been participating in a mock version of the project and it seems to be going smoothly. "So far the results have been as we expected," she commented, before going on to state that changing trends and industry records indicate that in the next two years 2.7 million new telephone numbers will be necessary. "Like every other industry," Kint says, "this industry is simply keeping up with the growing population and changing trends of the American people."

As for the US people, many are in shock. After so many years of a 10-digit system, it seems crazy to think of adding an extra digit. In fact, some groups are protesting the change stating that if the country has run out of numbers then they should limit every citizen to one type of phone and one phone number.

With good reason, many Americans cannot believe this is happening. That's probably because it's not. April Fools, my friend. I know it's early, but I couldn't help it. Now, go ahead and have a good day!