Coding Like It's 1999 All Over Again

The FCC has a predicament, and it’s called number exhaustion.

Well, it’s not really a burning fire, but it’s in a glow on the horizon, and it’s up to us, the IoT Community, to solve it. Well, not really to solve it but to implement it now because in two to three years it will be like changing clocks with the year 2000. And depending on who you are, the integration will be easy or harrowing.

You see, in order for people to still be able to 10-digit dial, we must move out of those number blocks and on to 15-digit dialing.  

And here there is the Shockey Shocker no one is prepared for it. AT&T has decided to prep buy using the IMEI number as its SIM Management ID, and I am sure other people are moving through the system in their own way. Our friend Sri Ramachandran from Somos has an identifier that might be more useful than IMEI and he will be part of the panel with Richard Shockey.

But the logic is simple machines don’t care if its “+1NNNNNNNXXXXXXXXX” or “+1NNNNNXXXXX.” Its just a bunch of 1s and zeros to the machines. But the systems that manage the machines might be a problem. Like the fear that we two digit year identifiers embedded in the network are definitely 10 digits bound on some device and connectivity management platforms.

So, consider this session a heads up and we will let all who want to hear about this impending turn of the clock when the FCC will implement to have a free session pass.

Just use the code “15digitaldial” when you register for IoT Evolution or 6G Expo.

And don’t say you weren’t warned.

Sidenote: The session is IoT-03 Expansion in the Universe? The FCC, NANP, and the future of IoT.

Learn more about the ever-evolving Internet of Things at IoT Evolution Expo 2025! This will be taking place from February 11-13, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Part of the #TECHSUPERSHOW experience, this event combines conference programming with a robust exhibit hall, networking events and other activities, promoting educated togetherness between buyers and providers of business technology products and services that are huge for the Internet of Things.