10-digit phone dialing to be mandatory starting in April
If you’ve been a part of the cellphone revolution, you’re already used to dialing several area codes. However, everyone, no matter what type of phone they have, will have to start doing it in the near future.
Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, press secretary for the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, encourages residents and businesses in the current 814 area code, which covers all or parts of 27 counties across central and northwestern Pennsylvania, to prepare for the start of mandatory 10digit dialing for all telephone calls, which will begin on Saturday, April 3.
“For the last several months, callers across the 814 area code have been able to use 10-digit dialing for local calls to test their devices and prepare for the upcoming changes, and now is the time to get ready, if you have not done so already,” said Hagen-Frederiksen.
He said April 3, the beginning of mandatory 10-digit dialing, marks the next major step toward the arrival of a new “overlay” area code — 582 — which will eventually serve side-by-side with the current 814 area code.
The 582 area code will be assigned to new telephone numbers once the available supply of numbers in the current 814 area code is exhausted.
“As of April 3, anyone attempting to make a call in the 814 area code using only seven digits, without the area code, will receive a recorded message prompting them to hang up and redial the call using the full ten-digit number area code plus the seven-digit phone number,” said Hagen-Frederiksen.
He said to begin preparing for 10-digit dialing, residents and businesses are encouraged to check devices that store telephone numbers, including cellphones and other devices with “speed dial” functions, to be certain that all the stored contacts include the area code. Moving forward, when adding any new numbers to those devices, be sure you include the area code.
“It is essential to doublecheck devices like medical alert systems, alarms and any other systems that automatically make calls to be certain they are set up for 10-digit dialing,” he said.
Devices that should be checked to verify they are configured for 10-digit dialing include mobile phones,
landline phones and tablets and fax machines that can save or store phone numbers.
Hagen-Frederiksen said life-safety and medical alert systems; alarm/security systems and security gates; call-forwarding settings and voicemail services; internet dial-up systems; automatic dialing equipment; software; speed-dialers; and any other device that can save, store and automatically dial phone numbers need to be doublechecked.
Consumers or businesses with questions about the compatibility or programming of their devices should contact their equipment or service providers.
To help consumers and businesses in the region adjust to the area code change, the PUC approved a timetable to implement the new overlay.
Oct. 3 of last year marked the beginning of voluntary 10-digit dialing for calls in the 814 area code.
After 10-digit dialing becomes mandatory April 3, the new overlay area code will be placed into service May 1.
New area code numbers will not be assigned until available 814 numbers are exhausted.
“The use of an overlay area code preserves existing phone numbers for residents and businesses in the region, while also ensuring that a supply of new numbers will be available after 814 number combinations are no longer available,” said Hagen-Frederiksen.
The 814 area code was established in 1947 and is one of Pennsylvania’s four original area codes.
It includes cities such as Altoona, Erie, Johnstown and State College, and covers all or parts of 27 counties, including Armstrong (northeastern portion only), Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Cameron, Centre (majority of the county), Clarion (all except portions of west), Clearfield, Clinton (small portions), Crawford (all except southwestern portion), Elk, Erie, Fayette (small portions), Forest, Fulton (western portions), Huntingdon (except Kishacoquillas Valley), Indiana (northern and eastern portions only), Jefferson, McKean, Mercer (extreme northeastern portion), Mifflin (extreme southwestern corner), Potter, Somerset, Tioga (western portions only), Venango (all except southeastern corner), Warren and Westmoreland (extreme northeastern corner).
Hagen-Frederiksen said the 814 is the largest area code in the state geographically, and the only area that hasn’t already received an additional area code overlay to replenish its dwindling supply of phone numbers.
He said the 582 area code designation was selected by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator, Somos, Inc., the neutral third-party that administers telephone resources across the United States.