323 Area Code Begins Service On June 13

New Area Code - California's 21st - Splits Off From 213

Los Angeles, California, June 2, 1998

The new 323 area code will begin serving customers in part of the existing 213 area code on June 13, 1998.

The 323 area code is being created through a geographic split of the 213 area code approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in early 1997. Under the split plan, a three-mile diameter region in downtown Los Angeles will retain the 213 area code and all other existing 213 area code customers will receive the new 323 area code. The geographic area affected by the split will have a donut shape, with the downtown Los Angeles business district located in the center of the donut.

The introduction of the new 323 area code, which will become California's 21st area code, is needed to meet the rapidly growing demand for additional phone numbers being seen in the 213 area code and across the state. Local telephone service competition as well as the explosive demand for high-technology are driving the demand for more phone numbers.

The details of the area code split are as follows:

  • The 213 area code will continue to serve existing customers in the majority of the downtown Los Angeles business district.
  • The new 323 area code will serve customers in all or parts of some cities and communities currently served by 213. Some of these areas include West Hollywood, Highland Park, East Los Angeles, Monterey Park, Montebello, Commerce, Huntington Park, South Gate, Watts and Hyde Park. (For a list of all prefixes changing to 323, please see www.pacbell.com/About/ConsumerInfo/0,,253,00.html.)

Permissive Dialing Period
A six-month permissive dialing period will begin June 13, 1998, with the introduction of the 323 area code. During this period, people calling from outside the area can dial either the old 213 or new 323 to reach customers in the 323 area code. Also, during this time, customers in the 213 and 323 area codes can call between the two area codes using seven-digit dialing. After the permissive dialing period, customers will have to use 1 ten digit dialing (1 area code seven-digit telephone number) to call between area codes.

Mandatory Dialing Period
The mandatory dialing period begins on December 13, 1998, at the end of the permissive dialing period. When mandatory dialing begins, callers must use the correct area code to complete their calls.

For three months after the beginning of mandatory dialing, callers who forget to use the new 323 area code will receive a recorded message reminding them that the area code has changed, and they will be required to redial using the proper area code. The recorded reminder ends April 13, 1999.

The new 323 area code is projected to accommodate the need for new telephone numbers for 11 to 13 years while the remaining 213 area code is expected to last five and one half to seven years.

Price of Calls Will Not Be Affected
California Area Code Relief Coordinator, Doug Hescox, who oversees area code relief efforts on behalf of the California telecommunications industry, said the introduction of the 323 area code will not affect the price of telephone calls. "What is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the area code change. Call distance and time determine the cost of a call, not whether or not you dial an area code."

Hescox also said the area code's introduction will not affect customers' seven-digit phone numbers. He explained that only the area code portion of customers' phone numbers will change.

Things to Remember
Hescox said the permissive dialing period is a great time for customers to get used to the new area code and make important changes. Some of those changes include:

  • Change stationery, business cards and advertising to reflect the new area code
  • Notify friends, relatives, business clients and customers of the new area code
  • Update fax machine group calling lists that have numbers affected by the change
  • Reprogram speed dialers, auto dialers, alarms and PBX (private phone systems) to reflect the change (contact your equipment vendor for assistance)
  • Reprogram outdial lists on personal computers that have numbers affected by the change
  • Check with wireless phone and paging service providers as well as Internet Service Providers to see if reprogramming is required

Area code relief plans are collectively developed by a telecommunications industry group composed of more than 30 companies, including AT&T, AT&T Wireless, AirTouch, The California Cable Television Association, Cox California PCS, Cox Communications, GTE, ICG Telecom Group, L.A. Cellular, MCI, Mobilemedia Communications, Pacific Bell, Pacific Bell Mobile Services, PageNet, Preferred Networks, Sprint and The Telephone Connection.

The California-Nevada Code Administration is an independent planning group that coordinates area code relief planning on behalf of the California telecommunications industry. Final decisions on area code issues are made by the California Public Utilities Commission.