Dialing The Area Code In 310:
With Dialing Change One Month Away,
Education Program Helps Telephone Users Big and Small
Prepare for California's First `OverlayLOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 1999--Southern Californians can learn a thing or two from Mrs. Smith's first-graders at Mar Vista Elementary School -- especially if it involves dialing the telephone.
For example, the students know that if you live or work in the 310 area, you should think of your telephone number as 10 digits, not seven. They also know that beginning April 17, everybody placing calls in the 310 area code must dial 1 + the area code + the seven-digit number before they can say, "Hello."
With one month left until California begins to implement its first "overlay" area code -- 424 -- a sweeping public education program is underway at schools and senior centers, government halls and high-rise hotels to help redefine how people dial their phones in the 310 area.
"The message is the same for everybody: Dial the area code in 310," said Elaine Camuti, co-chair of the 310 Overlay Education Task Force, a volunteer group made up of local telephone service providers. "Through public outreach, advertising and direct mail, we're reminding telephone customers affected by the overlay to dial 1 + the area code + the seven-digit number for all calls beginning April 17.
"In an 'overlay' situation, the new area code is added to the same geographic region as the existing area code. As a result, 1 + 10-digit dialing is required to complete all calls. After April 17, if a number is dialed using only seven digits, a recording will ask the caller to re-dial using 1 + the area code + the seven-digit number," Camuti added.
The 310 area code currently serves all customers in the Westside and South Bay areas of Los Angeles County and a very small portion of Ventura County. Communities in the area include San Pedro, Wilmington, Compton, Torrance, Gardena, Redondo Beach, El Segundo, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, Malibu, most of Beverly Hills and Culver City, and part of West Hollywood. The cost of telephone calls is unaffected by the change in dialing patterns.
The California Public Utilities Commission approved use of an overlay area code in the 310 area last year. As a condition of approval, the CPUC invited the telephone industry to mount a public education program to alert customers about the dialing changes.
The 310 Overlay Education Task Force has worked closely with local service providers to produce brochures, news releases, public service announcements and more, to bring information to consumers about the overlay.
The information is available in seven languages -- English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese. In addition, the Task Force created lesson plans for teachers in grades K-12 to help students understand the overlay. Those materials were distributed in February to all schools in the 310 region.
"There's only one month left until 1 + 10-digit dialing is required in the 310 area," Camuti said. "In fact, people can begin to use the dialing pattern now. Practice makes perfect."
Camuti also offered other tips to prepare:
- Post a reminder near your phone so you dial 1 + 10 digits each time you place a call.
- Reprogram your frequently called numbers into your phone's speed-dial function using 1 + 10 digits.
- At home or at the office, reprogram your telecommunications equipment and services such as computer modems, call forwarding, auto dialers and voice mail services.
- Tell your friends and relatives about the change and verify their area codes.
- Change stationery, business cards and advertising to reflect the area code if not already shown.
Telephone customers who have additional questions about the "overlay" area code can call their local telephone service provider or access information on the Internet at www.cpuc.ca.gov.
CONTACT:
310 Overlay Education Task Force
Jeff Mondon, 925/824-8845
Elaine Camuti, 949/864-3071