DC is running out of 202 numbers!
It’s the start to a new era Washingtonians, well actually not quite yet, but a new area code will soon be coming to town! DC is running out of 202 numbers so the city will add the new 771 code to local numbers by the end of 2022, according to the District’s public service commission (DCPSC).
The 202 code has been around for quite a long time since AT&T created it back in 1947 and has become a source of great pride for District residents. But due to higher use of technology and people holding onto 202 numbers when moving out of DC, the one-area-code city is finally running out of 202 combinations.
The DCPSC will soon launch a 13-month implementation plan at the end of which the 771 area code will be overlayed over the entire geographic area of the 202. But don’t worry, if you’re the owner of a 202 phone number you won’t lose it. You might just have to change the way you make calls.
“Customers making phone calls within the District will be required to dial 10 digits (the 202 or 771 area code plus the local telephone number) instead of just the current seven-digit local telephone number,” says the DCPSC.
The new 771 area code will supply DC with around 8 million new phone numbers, so the city won’t likely get another area code for quite a while.
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[Featured image: Robin Worrall, Unsplash]