Starting in January 1999 the San Jose area will juggle a second telephone area code -- and a 1-plus-area-code dialing sequence -- even for local calls. Local businesses should prepare. Since 1995, 72 area codes across the U.S. and Canada have split ...
Starting in January 1999 the San Jose area will juggle a second telephone area code -- and a 1-plus-area-code dialing sequence -- even for local calls. Local businesses should prepare. Since 1995, 72 area codes across the U.S. and Canada have split geographically, with 13 overlays added. With an overlay, a geographic area receives a second area code for new customers and certain services. More than 120 additional areas will exhaust their supply of numbers under current area codes within less than a decade, forecasts the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA). The reson for the dwindling supply of numbers, burgeoning demand from population and business expansion, wireless services, and multiple in-home lines. NANPA's tips for businesses facing splits or overlays:
Change stationery, business cards, and advertising to reflect the area code.
Update fax machine group calling lists to include 1-plus-10-digit numbers.
Reprogram speed dialers, auto dialers, alarms, and PBX.