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For Immediate Release: 03/06/17
Audrey Zibelman, Chair
Contact: James Denn | James.Denn@dps.ny.gov | (518) 474-7080
17014
March 06, 2017
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Residents and Businesses Prepare for New 838 Area Code10-Digit Dialing in 518 Area Code Beginning March 2017 |
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ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today announced that residential, business and wireless customers within the existing 518 area code should be preparing for the introduction of the new 838 area code, and the start of permissive10-digit dialing (518 or 838 plus the 7-digit local telephone number) beginning March 18, 2017.
To ensure a continuing supply of telephone numbers, the New York Public Service Commission in September 2016 approved a new area code to be added to the current 518 area code region which serves all or part of the 17 counties in eastern upstate New York, including: Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Dutchess, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington. The new 838 area code will be “overlaid” or superimposed over the same geographic area as the 518 area code.
As an intermediate step in the implementation of the new area code, a permissive dialing phase begins March 18, 2017, which will allow customers to dial either 7-digits or 10-digits (area code plus 7-digit local telephone number) on calls within the 518 area code; calls to other area codes must still be dialed as 1+ ten digits. The permissive dialing period will end on August 19, 2017, at which time callers will be required to dial 10-digits (area code plus 7-digit local telephone number).
Beginning September 19, 2017, customers in the 518 area code region requesting new service, an additional line, or a move in the location of their service, may be assigned a number in the new 838 area code.
Important facts that consumers and businesses need to know about the upcoming 838 area code overlay are:
Customers should identify their telephone number as a 10-digit number (area code + 7-digit local telephone number) when giving the number to friends, family, business associates and business customers, etc.
Customers should ensure that all services, automatic dialing equipment, applications, software, or other types of equipment recognize the new 838 area code as a valid area code. Some examples are: life safety systems, fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, alarm and security systems, gates, speed dialers, mobile phone contact lists, call forwarding settings, voicemail services, and similar functions. Business stationery, advertising materials, personal checks, and personal or pet ID tags should include the area code. All calls within the 518/838 area must be programmed to dial using 10-digits and the digit prefix “1” must be included for all calls to other area codes.
The Commission’s decision in this proceeding, may be obtained by going to the Commission Documents section of the Commission’s Web site at www.dps.ny.gov and entering Case Number 16-C-0297 in the input box labeled "Search by Case Number". Many libraries offer free Internet access. Commission documents may also be obtained from the Commission’s Files Office, 14th floor, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223 (518-474-2500). If you have difficulty understanding English, please call us at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this press release. For more information, you may also visit your service provider’s website.
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