Gwen Berry
In case you missed the latest notice about Mandatory 10-Digit Dialing, here’s what it means for us on High Prairie. It’s a lot simpler than those notices make it seem.
Starting October 24, 2021, everyone within the 509 area code will have to dial Area Code + Telephone Number when making all calls. Here on High Prairie, we’ve been able to use our land lines to call others in the 365 local exchange without using the area code, but we won’t be able to do that anymore. It’s no big deal, since we already use area codes for all our other calls. However, you’ll want to add the 509 area code to people in your contact list and speed dial entries. Also, make sure everything with your phone number on it includes the area code, e.g. your website, membership list info, pet ID tags, business cards, advertising, voice mail outgoing message, and so on.
What’s driving this change is that the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has adopted 988 as a new National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline number. It will go active on July 16, 2022. The problem is that in many area codes, the prefix 988 (the first three numbers of a local phone number) is already in use. Without an area code, 988 will be read as the number for the mental health hotline. Mandatory 10-digit dialing eliminates that problem.
Photo: Deb Hansen