831 Area Code Becomes Mandatory On February 20

831 Area Code Becomes Mandatory On February 20;
"Get Acquainted" Dialing Period Ends

12:00 p.m. Feb 09, 1999 Eastern

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 9, 1999--Beginning February 20, 1999, it will be mandatory for callers to dial 831 to reach residents in the majority of Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties previously served by the 408 area code.

Anyone not dialing the 831 area code will receive a recorded message reminding them of the area code change. This reminder will last for about three months.

For the past six months, a "get acquainted" dialing period has enabled callers to use either the 408 or 831 area code when completing calls to customers in the new 831 area code. Also during the last six months, customers in the 408 and 831 area codes could call between the two area codes using seven digits. That arrangement will also end February 20. Beginning that day, customers must dial 1 + area code + seven-digit number to dial between the 408 and 831 area codes.

The 831 area code was created through a geographic split of the 408 area code approved by the California Public Utilities Commission in early 1997. The new 831 area code, which was the 22nd area code introduced in California, is needed to meet the rapidly growing demand for additional phone numbers in the 408 area code and across the state. That need is driven by local telephone service competition and the explosive demand for high technology.

Area Code Boundaries

The details of the area code split are as follows: -- The 408 area code will continue to serve existing customers in most of Santa Clara County and very small portions of San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus and Alameda counties. Some of the communities in this area include Gilroy, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale. -- The new 831 area code will serve customers in most of Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito counties as well as very small portions of San Mateo, San Luis Obispo and Merced counties. Some of the communities in this area include Aptos, Boulder Creek, Santa Cruz and Watsonville in Santa Cruz County; Carmel, Monterey and Salinas in Monterey County; and Hollister, Pinnacles and San Juan Bautista in San Benito County.

Price of Calls Will Not Be Affected

The introduction of the 831 area code will not affect the price of telephone calls. Call distance and time determine the cost of a call. Therefore, what is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the area code change.

Things to Remember

It is important for consumers to remember - if they have not already done so - to make the critical changes including:

Change stationery, business cards and advertising to reflect the new area code
Notify friends, relatives, business clients and customers of the new area code
Update fax machine group calling lists that have numbers affected by the change
Reprogram speed dialers, auto dialers, alarms and PBX (private phone systems) to reflect the change (contact you equipment vendor for assistance)
Reprogram outdial lists on personal computers that have numbers affected by the change
Check with wireless phone and paging service providers as well as Internet Service Providers to see if reprogramming is required

A telecommunications industry group composed of more than 30 companies with input from local community leaders and the public collectively develops area code relief plans. The California Public Utilities Commission makes final decisions on area code issues.