Why Do Area Codes Change?
You may be wondering, why do area codes change? In the United States, the telephone system has changed quite a bit in the past few decades. While area codes once covered an entire state, they are now limited to small regions. This has had a strange effect on our sense of identity. As writer Megan Garber points out in a 2014 piece, area codes have become regional identifiers for people who move around.

When an area code runs out of prefixes, the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) notifies the telecommunications industry and orders a transition period in which customers can change over to the new code. This period includes education and customer notification. The process is typically completed within a few years.

During this transition, area codes will no longer accept seven-digit local phone numbers. The number will have to be ten-digits long. This transition will affect approximately eighty-two states and a US territory. Even if your phone number does not change , you may need to program your fax machine to complete a 10-digit number. You may also want to change the voicemail services for your phone.

There are two major reasons why area codes change. One is because area codes need more prefixes to serve the telecommunications industry. Another is to expand the telephone service in a particular area. The telecommunications industry has traditionally used area codes to split geographical areas into smaller regions. By doing this, a new area code is created.

The new area code implementation process is broken into two phases. The first phase is known as the permissive dialing phase, which begins with the introduction of the new code. This period typically lasts several months, during which callers can use both the old and new area codes for phone calls. The second phase is known as the mandatory dialing phase. This phase requires callers to dial the appropriate 10-digit number for outside calls, and a seven-digit number for local calls within the same area code. If they dial the wrong area code, they will hear an automated recording.

This change will affect many areas. Some states will lose seven-digit calling entirely, while others will only lose parts of their numbers. In particular, Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, and New Mexico will no longer use seven-digit dialing. In addition to these states, a large portion of Washington and Colorado will be affected.

When a business moves from one area to another, the area code will follow. Having a 236 area code will give a company a local presence, which will be helpful for customers. However, it is worth noting that the 236 area code is not available forever. This means that businesses should take advantage of this opportunity.

Overlay plans can be an ideal solution for businesses and organizations that do not want to reprint their business materials to accommodate the new area code. These overlays add a new area code to an existing geographic area. This option will affect new customers, while existing customers would stay the same.