Insights

New Dialing Procedure Becomes Mandatory on October 24, 2021 for all Customers in 82 Area Codes

Oct 19, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

East Brunswick, NJ, October 19, 2021 - Somos, Inc., a leading registry management and data solutions company serving as the North American Plan Administrator (NANPA) today announces, on behalf of the FCC, a new dialing procedure for customers in 36 states and 82 area codes. 

On July 16, 2020, the FCC adopted an Order (FCC 20-100) approving 988 as the three-digit abbreviated dialing code to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline starting July 16, 2022. The Order requires all telecommunications carriers, interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, and one-way VoIP providers (covered providers) to make any network changes necessary to ensure that users can dial 988 to reach the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by July 16, 2022. 

To ensure everyone is able to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline using the three-digit 988 code in the 82 area codes in 36 states below, every customer with a number in those area codes with seven-digit local dialing must be transitioned to 10-digit (area code + telephone number) local dialing (or 1+10-digit local dialing in CA and parts of IL). 

* 1 + 10-digit dialing is required 

Beginning October 24, 2021, all consumers with numbers in the area codes above must dial 10 digits (area code + telephone number) or 1+10-digits (1+ area code + telephone number in CA and parts of IL) for all local calls. On and after this date, local calls dialed with only seven digits may not be completed, and a recording may inform you that your call cannot be completed as dialed.  If you get this recording, you must hang up and dial again using the area code with the seven-digit telephone number.

What other changes need to be made?

Important safety and security equipment, such as medical alert devices, and alarm and security systems must be reprogrammed to use 10-digit (or 1+10-digit) dialing by October 24, 2021.  Many systems operate on 10-digit (or 1+10-digit) dialing by default, but some older equipment may still use seven-digit dialing.  Please contact your medical alert or security provider if you are not sure whether your equipment needs to be reprogrammed to accommodate the upcoming change to 10-digit (or 1+10-digit) local dialing in order to avoid interruption of services. Some other examples of services that may need to be re-programmed are:

• life safety systems or medical monitoring devices
• PBXs 
• fax machines 
• Internet dial-up numbers 
• fire or burglar alarm and security systems or gates 
• speed dialers
• mobile or other wireless phone contact lists
• call forwarding settings
• voicemail services and other similar functions

Be sure to check your website, personal and business stationery, advertising materials, personal and business checks, contact information, your personal or pet ID tags, and other such items to ensure the area code is included. 

What will remain the same?

• Your telephone number, including current area code, will not change
• The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change due to the dialing change
• What is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed
• You will continue to dial 1+ the area code + telephone number for all long-distance calls
• You will continue to dial a prefix (such as “9”) when dialing from a multi-line telephone system (e.g., in a hotel, office building, etc.) as required
• You can still dial just three digits to reach 711 (relay services) and 911 (emergency services)
• If 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, or 811 are currently available in your community, continue to dial these codes with just three digits
• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can still be reached by dialing 1-800-273-TALK (8255) even after the 988 code is in effect

Beginning July 16, 2022, dialing “988” will route your call to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Customers must continue to dial 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) to reach the Lifeline until July 16, 2022.

For questions about the dialing procedure change, email the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) at 988@nanpa.com. For additional information, visit the NANPA website and the FCC website.=

Following are maps for all states affected by this dialing change.  Areas in blue represent area codes changing to 10-digit (or 1+10-digit) dialing.  Areas in yellow are not affected by this change.

About Somos, Inc.

As the world becomes more interconnected, Somos enables brands, consumers, and communities to communicate in an environment of greater trust and convenience. Somos is a global source of number administration, routing data, identity verification, and identity management services for the telecommunications ecosystem. As the trusted administrator of the North American Numbering Plan (NANPA), Toll-Free Numbering (TFNA), and the Reassigned Number Database (RNDA), we support over 1,400 service providers in North America and manage over 3 billion numbers to enable seamless communications between enterprises and consumers.

Through our portfolio of products and services, and a collaborative approach in everything we do, Somos helps ensure trust in an increasingly digital world while delivering value, innovation, and results to consumers. To learn more about Somos, please visit www.somos.com.

Media Contact:

Florence Weber

Senior Director, NANPA

925.420.0340 

fweber@somos.com