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Move Over, 860, There's A New Area Code In Town: 959 [The Hartford Courant :: ](Hartford Courant (CT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 28--A large part of Connecticut on Saturday officially gets a new area code: 959. The code will cover the same geographic region now covered by the 860 area code, which is roughly all but the southwestern part of the state, an area served by two area codes: 203 and 475. Here's what you need to know about the new prefix. Can I keep my existing number? Yes. Customers with existing numbers are not required to change. Why do we need another area code? To meet ongoing demand, driven not only by traditional land lines for home and office use, but by cellular phones, pagers, modems, Internet access, and other uses. The pool of unused phone numbers using the 860 prefix is nearly exhausted. What is the limit for the 860 area code? Each area code yields about 750,000 usable numbers, said Michael Coyle, a spokesman for the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. There are more possible number combinations, but some cannot be used. For example, "911" cannot be used as a prefix (e.g., no 860-911-XXXX). Likewise with 211, 511, 411 and so on. When does the new area code go into effect? Numbers beginning with the 959 area code (e.g., 959-XXX-XXXX) will be available beginning Saturday, but that doesn't mean they will be assigned right away. No one can forecast the exact date or hour that demand for existing numbers in the 860 area code will outstrip supply. Who will get the new code? Customers in the current 860 area who are requesting new service or an additional line, or in some cases, those moving their service. Can I request a particular area code when I get my new phone? It depends on who the service provider is, and what numbering resources that provider has available. So the service providers assign the codes? Will they all begin assigning 959 at the same time? Service providers assign phone numbers, but they may not all start assigning the new area code on the same date. One cellular company may run out of 860 numbers before a competitor. How long has this been planned? PURA has been working since mid-2013 with The North American Plan Numbering Administrator, an industry stakeholder group to oversee the orderly implementation of the new 959 area code. The new area code was announced in March. Are both land lines and cell phones affected? Yes -- and all other types of services as well, including pagers, fax machines, ATMs and Internet services. Will this affect calls made to 911 or other special three-digit numbers? No, customers can still dial 911, 211, 411 and similar numbers with just three digits. ___ (c)2014 The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.) Visit The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.) at www.courant.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |