Northern Orange County, California, Residents To Dial Differently Beginning August 23, 2008

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LOS ANGELES, CA — Residents and businesses with 714 phone numbers must dial 1+ the area code + phone number when making all calls, beginning August 23, 2008. The change paves the way for an additional area code (657) to allow new telephone lines and services for growing northern Orange County.

The 714 Public Education Program (714 PEP) participants, a consortium of landline and wireless telecommunications providers in cooperation with the California Public Utilities Commission, offer the following tips to residents and businesses alike:

  • Deadline: Beginning August 23, 2008, calls from 714 phone numbers will not go through unless dialed as 1 + the area code + phone number for landline phones. Cell phone customers may also dial the area code + phone number and calls will complete.
  • Phone numbers and pricing unchanged: The new dialing procedure will not change existing 714 phone numbers or the cost of the call. Calls that are in a consumer's local calling area remain local calls.
  • Dialing 9-1-1 unaffected: Consumers can still dial three digits to reach 911, 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711, and 811.
  • Reprogram automatic dialers: Automatic dialing equipment must be reprogrammed to use the new procedure, including: life safety systems; fax machines; Internet dial-up numbers; alarm and security systems; entry gates; speed dialers; call forwarding settings; voicemail services, and, similar functions.

Phone numbers with the new 657 area code may be issued beginning September 23, 2008. These numbers will share the same local calling area as 714 numbers have today.

Over the past ten years, telecommunications carriers successfully implemented more than 50 area code "overlays" throughout the U.S. to make additional telephone numbers available to meet growing demand. For more information, please visit your service provider's Web site or www.cpuc.ca.gov/714areacode.  

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