Consumer Information

Area Code Information

• How do area codes get assigned?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• How to Prepare for the New Area Codes
• Additional Resources for Area Code Information
• Troubleshooting
• Glossary

How Area Codes are Assigned

• AT&T introduced the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) in 1947 to enable customers to dial their own long distance calls. Previously, all these calls were made through an operator. The NANP is shared by the United States, Canada, Bermuda, and 18 Caribbean nations.
• NeuStar is the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA). As NANPA, it assigns area codes, prefixes, and other telephone codes to the industry. It also recommends plans for area code relief.

When forecasts indicate that a particular area code will run out of numbers, NANPA convenes an industry team in the affected geographic area to determine an appropriate solution. The industry team consists of representatives from companies that provide telecommunications services within the affected area code.

The team operates under area code guidelines developed by the Industry Numbering Committee. Once the industry reaches consensus on an area code relief plan, it may be submitted to the state regulatory authority for approval.

• Originally, all area codes had "0" or "1" as the middle digit (312, 906, 616, etc.). This allowed 152 usable combinations.
• Use of these 152 area codes was initially slow, 90 were assigned by 1950, 120 by 1960, 122 by 1970, 125 by 1980, then, things took off.
• The telecommunications revolution began around 1990 with extensive growth in cellular phones, second lines, fax modems, pagers, PC modems, competition, etc.
• This rapid growth quickly exhausted the available numbers in many area codes thus forcing area code splits.
• Soon the 152 available area codes with "0" or "1" as the middle digit were used up. The 810 area code added to the Detroit area in August, 1994 was the second to the last one left.
• Starting January 1, 1995, the format was changed so a "0" or "1" were no longer required as the middle digit. An area code can now be virtually any combination of numbers (765, 734, 847, etc.).
• This new format permits 640 new usable combinations, in addition to the original 152.
• In May, 1996, a new toll — free area code 888 was introduced. In April 1998, another toll free code 877 was introduced. In 2000, the toll free code 866 was introduced and a new toll free area code 855 will be added.

What does the future hold for area codes? Visit the FCC website to read about cost effective ways to increase the efficiency and reduce the need for additional area codes.