Are Telephone Number Area Codes Obsolete?

This is a tangent, but here goes. Do we need area codes anymore? When I get an incoming call, the main benefit of an area code is to tell me what state a call is coming from, but other than that, it just makes phone numbers longer. We could shorten area codes down to two digits that represent the state that the number resides in, something like: 31-123-4567. That way, we’d still get the useful state information, but won’t get confused by different area codes from the same state. Additionally, numbers will be shorter. With the number of people that dial numbers while driving, shorter numbers could have potential safety benefits. Heck, with the rise of smartphones, it’d be neat if the prefix was letters instead of numbers. Wouldn’t it be nice to see that you’re getting a call from NY-123-4567 for someone living in New York?

I suppose we need to keep area codes around for people who have land lines, but I haven’t had a land line in years. I only use a cell phone. From the experience of my friends, they never answer land lines anyway because it’s always a telemarketer. While the area code was (arguably) useful for determining long distance rates, it’s irrelevant for cell phone users or people that use VoIP (making phone calls through their internet connection).

I’d be in favor of truncating 1-3 digits off of all phone numbers.