Your fingers will have a do a little more walking when making local phone calls starting Sunday.
Full implementation of the 385 area code in a five-country area starts then, meaning that all local calls will require dialing 10 digits — the area code and the seven-digit phone number.
All local calls must use 10 digits or they will not be completed. Callers using only seven digits will hear a recording instructing them to hang up and dial using the 10-digit number.
The new mandatory plan follows a "permissive" dialing period that started June 1 and allowed local calls whether a person used seven or 10 digits.
Only local calls are affected by the change. Long-distance calls will continue to need a "1" before the area code and seven-digit phone number.
The price of a call, local and long-distance calling areas and other rates and services will not change. Only three digits will be needed to dial certain services, such as 9-1-1.
The new 385 area code is being "overlaid" onto the area already served by the 801 area code, meaning that newly assigned phone numbers in the area will get a 385 code. The result is that a single home eventually could have two area codes — one with 801 for an existing number and one with 385 for a new account.
The area-code issue had been lurking for several years because the available 801 phone numbers were being depleted. The Utah Public Service Commission ordered an area code split in 2000 but did not implement it because phone-number conservation techniques enabled a delay.
The commission began to seriously consider the overlay option for the new area code nearly two years ago. Telecommunication-company representatives said at that time that an overlay would be less confusing and less costly than splitting the 801 area into two geographic area-code regions, with Salt Lake County retaining 801 and four other counties getting 385. The commission approved the overlay plan in July 2007, and in October 2007, it set the permissive- and mandatory-dialing dates.
A bill that would have killed the overlay plan and instituted the split option was introduced during the current legislative session. HB215 is mired in the House Rules Committee, having never had a hearing before a standing committee.
Among the advantages to the overlay option cited by the commission is that current 801 customers will retain their existing phone numbers and area code. That will keep businesses from having to reprint stationery, directories, signs and advertisements.
The commission is cautioning that all automated dialing equipment and other equipment programmed with seven-digit numbers will need to be reprogrammed to use the new 10-digit procedure. Those devices include life safety systems, fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, alarm and security systems, security gates, speed dialers, call forward settings and voicemail services.
The commission has established a verification number to check that equipment can complete calls to the new area code. The number —385-600-1234 — will remain active through June 1. A long-distance test call will require dialing 1-385-600-1234, although long-distance charges will not apply when calling that number.
More information is available at www.publicutilities.utah.gov/area-code-overlay.html.
E-MAIL: bwallace@desnews.com