Area code 231
The Area Code in telephone services provides a particular place with an identification code. This system of providing area codes to designate particular places was planned and implemented by the famous AT&T Bell Laboratories in the year 1947. It was named as the North American Numbering Plan and had an extensive array of area codes given to the different states and their provinces. States were designated 1 - 3 area codes depending on the size of the state and the number of user. The NANP was developed as an integrated telecom numbering scheme and 24 different countries were included under the scheme. These countries are Canada, Caribbean islands, US and its provinces.
In 1947 when the area codes were introduced for the first time area code 231 did not exist. It was later created out of the area code 616. The total number of area codes during the introduction was 86. Over the years several others were created and now the total number stands as 280 different area codes.
In 1947, most of the states and its provinces which had single digit area codes were given three digit area codes. These area codes had the digit 0 as the number in the middle of the code, for example 305 for Florida and 203 for Connecticut. States with more than one area code were given codes with numeral 1 in the middle, such as 213 and 916 for various parts of California State or 518 and 216 of New York.
In the area code the first and third digits were designated keeping in mind the density of population of the city, county or the region. Places with the thick population were given the lowest numbers. For example New York City metro area was given the area code 212 and at the same time the area code of the region surrounding New York including its suburbs was designated as 914.
Area code 231 covers the northern part of the state of Michigan. It was created in the year 1999 by splitting area code 616 in order to get rid of the growing congestion. The entire northern portion of the area covered by area code 616 is now lies under the area code 231. Previously area code 616 served the entire western part of Michigan.
The area code 231 covers 26 counties such as Antrim, Baraga, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Clare, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Kent, Lake, Leelanau, Mackinac, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Missaukee, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, Osceola, Otsego, Ottawa, Roscommon and Wexford. Some of the important cities served by area code 231 are Cadillac, Muskegon, Grant, Big Rapids, Ludington, Petoskey, and Traverse City.
Some of the popular telephone services providers are Classic Telephone, Inc., CMC Telecom, Inc., AMT Telecom Group, LLC, Appia Communications, Allendale Communications, Axis Technology, Pigeon Telephone, Inc., Sloan Transportation Products, Chippewa County Telephone Company, JAS Networks, Inc., Lucre, Inc., Qualitech, Mitchell Selling Dynamics, Inc., Deerfield Farmers Telephone Company, Electro-Media Inc., D & P Cable Inc., Hiawatha Telephone Company, Home Works, Multimedia Foundry, Great Lakes Utilities, Inc., Winn Telephone Co.