Minnesota's Telecommunications Industry
Welcomes Its Newest Area Code: 651

MINNEAPOLIS, July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 12, Minnesota will welcome its
newest area code. On that day, the region now served by the 612 area code
will be split into two area codes -- 651 and 612.

-- The 651 area code will serve St. Paul and the communities of Arden Hills,
Eagan, Forest Lake, Farmington, Hastings, Roseville, Lindstrom, Lino Lakes,
Mendota Heights, New Brighton, North Branch, Rosemount, Shoreview and other
communities to the east, including Red Wing and Wabasha.

-- The 612 area code will be kept by Minneapolis and the communities of Apple
Valley, Blaine, Bloomington, Burnsville, Columbia Heights, Fridley, Lakeville,
Mounds View, Richfield and other communities to the west now served by the 612
area code.

-- The 218, 320, and 507 area codes will not change.

July 12 marks the beginning of a six-month transition period when callers can
use either the new or old area code to complete a call. Mandatory use of the
new 651 area code will begin on January 10, 1999.

All Minnesotans should be aware of the new area code, even if they are not
directly impacted by the change.

The addition of the 651 area code will change the way local telephone calls
are made between the 612 and 651 area codes. To make a local call between
area codes, it will be necessary to dial ten digits -- the area code plus the
seven-digit phone number. Do not dial a "1" before making the local call.
During the transition period, callers can dial either seven or ten digits to
complete a local call.

On January 10, 1999, ten-digit dialing becomes mandatory for local calls
between the 612 and 651 area codes. All local calls made between the 651 and
612 area codes will remain local calls -- they are not considered long
distance toll calls.

New area codes being assigned across the country, like Minnesota's 651 area
code, use a different numbering format than in the past when all area codes
had a "0" or a "1" as the middle digit. Businesses that use specialized
telephone equipment (often called PBXs), electronic telephone sets, auto-dial
systems or multi-line key systems must ensure their equipment is capable of
completing calls to the 651 area code.

Beginning July 12th, businesses can test their telephone equipment to find out
if it can successfully complete calls into the 651 area code by calling the
following test number: 1-651-296-2644. If your call to the test number does
not go through or you have other difficulties, contact your equipment provider
to discuss changes that may need to be made to your telephone equipment. If
your equipment is not the problem, call the U S WEST Area Code Service Center
at 800-441-5516.

Also, businesses in the Twin Cities local calling area must be sure their
telephone equipment is capable of completing a ten-digit local call. Contact
your telephone system vendor or consultant to ask about the need to make
changes.

In addition, if your business will have a new area code, you must change your
area code on such things as stationery, business cards, labels, signs,
advertisements, promotional items, brochures, catalogs, etc. Also, notify
your customers, clients and others who call you of your new area code. Remind
your customers throughout the U.S. and the world of the possible need to make
changes to their telephone equipment.

Home telephone users with the new area code should notify friends and
relatives. Also, you may need to change your area code on personal checks or
stationery, reprogram security systems, update speed dialing lists and call
forwarding lists.

The need for a new area code is being driven by dramatic growth in the demand
for new telephone numbers for services such as fax machines, pagers, wireless
telephones, second telephone lines, voice mail and other competitive services.

The 651 area code is Minnesota's fifth area code and this is the third time
the 612 area code has been split. In 1954, the 612 area code, which then
served the entire southern part of the state, was split into two parts. The
507 area code was added to serve southern Minnesota and 612 was retained by
the middle section of the state. That first area code split gave the region
enough new telephone numbers to last 40 years. In 1996 it was again necessary
to split the 612 region and the 320 area code was added.

For more area code information, visit the following web sites at

http://www.mnta.org

http://www.uswest.com/areacodes

SOURCE U S WEST Communications