New Area Code Assigned to
New York's Lower Hudson Valley
And The Catskills
Calling Area 845 Will Be New Area Code
In Geographic Split Plan

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) announced today that the new 845 area code will be assigned to nine of the ten counties in New York's Lower Hudson Valley and the Catskills, exclusive of Westchester County, as part of the geographic split plan approved recently by the New York Public Service Commission.

Telephone customers in Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, Sullivan, Delaware, Greene and Columbia counties will receive the new 845 area code, while those customers in Westchester County will retain the 914 area code. The boundaries of the geographic split fall along the county boundary that separates Westchester County from Rockland and Putnam counties. This is the first new area code added in the region since 914 was placed into service in the early 1950's.

The assignment of the new 845 area code for New York comes after the State's Public Service Commission approved a geographic split plan for relief of the 914 area code on November 4.

Cities and communities that will change to 845 include Orangetown, Putnam Valley, East Fishkill, Woodstock, New Paltz, Stony Point, Middletown, and Fallsburg. Yonkers, Mount Kisco, Mamaroneck, Scarsdale, Peekskill and Ossining are among those that will remain in the 914 calling area.

Once the new area code is implemented calls made between Westchester County and those counties in the new 845 area code will require 1+10 digit dialing (1+area code+phone number). However, the introduction of the 845 area code will not affect the price of telephone calls. Local calls will remain local calls regardless of the area code dialed.

To introduce the new 845 area code, a "permissive dialing" period will begin June 5, 2000, and run through Dec. 3, 2000. During the permissive dialing period, calls made from outside the area can use either the 914 or the 845 area code when completing a call to customers in the new 845 area code. Once mandatory dialing begins, Dec. 4, 2000, callers will need to use the correct area code to complete their calls. New phone numbers will be assigned out of the 845 area code beginning Feb. 23, 2001.

Because the 914/845 area code relief plan falls along the Westchester and Putnam county line, several exchanges will be found in both counties. For example, if a phone customer has the 528 exchange and lives in Putnam County, they will switch to the new 845 area code; however, a 528 phone customer in Westchester County will retain the 914 area code. Attached is a preliminary list of exchanges for the new 845 area code, and those remaining in 914. The shared codes are marked with an asterisk (*).

New phone numbers will be assigned in the 845 area code beginning in the first quarter of 2001.

Frank Colaco, NANPA's area code relief planner for the Eastern Region, which includes New York, said the introduction of the new 845 area code is needed due to an increase in competition in the local phone service market, the growing demand by the public for additional telephone numbers, and a technical requirement in the phone network that currently allocates phone numbers in blocks of 10,000.

When switching to or adding a new area code, Colaco said there are several items customers should remember including:

• Changing stationery, business cards and advertising to reflect the correct area code if not already shown
• Reprogramming alarm monitoring devices to accommodate 1+10-digit dialing (contact alarm service providers)
• Updating fax machine group calling lists to include 1+10-digit dialing
• Reprogramming speed dialers, auto dialers, alarms and PBX (private phone systems)
• Reprogramming out-dial lists on personal computers to include 1+10-digit dialing
• Updating or reprogramming private-dial entry access systems for 1+10-digit dialing.

A telecommunications industry group, comprised of various industry segments, collectively develops area code relief plans for New York State. Area code relief activities for the 914 and 845 area codes are administered by NeuStar, Inc., which was selected by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to serve as the NANPA. NANPA is a neutral, third-party administrator that works with the telecommunications industry in developing area code relief plans. NANPA also oversees the assignment of area codes, three-digit central office codes, carrier identification codes, and other numbering resources throughout the United States, Canada, Bermuda and 16 Caribbean countries.

845 PREFIXES 201 297 374 453# 528* 624 735 855 947 207 298 382 454 529# 625 736* 856 956 210 306 383 455# 530 626 737* 858 974# 213# 308# 384 456# 531 627 739* 859 975# 215 314 385 457 534 628* 743* 862 978# 220 326 386 458 541# 634 744 863 985 221 327# 387# 462 542# 635 752 866# 986 223 331 388# 463 543# 638 753 867 987 224 334 389# 464# 556# 639 754 868 988 225 336 398 465# 557 647 755# 869# 226 338 399# 466# 561 648 756 871 227 339 401# 469 562 650# 757 875 228 340 402* 471 563 651 758 876 229 341 406 473 564 657 759 877 236 342 408# 474# 565 658 770 878 246 343 415 475# 566 661# 774 879# 247 344 416 477 567 669* 778 880# 252 346 417 482 568 675 781 883 254 348 424 483 569 676 782 884# 255 349# 425 484# 571 677 783 886 256 351 426 485 573 678 786 887 257 352 427 486 574 679 788* 888 258 353 429 487# 575 680 790 889 264# 354 430# 488# 577 685# 791 892 265 355 431 489# 578 687 794 893# 266 356 432 491 579 688 795 894 267 357 433 496 583 691 796 895 268 358 434 497 586 692 797# 896 274 359 435 498 599# 695 799# 897 276* 361 436 501 601# 703 802 901 277* 362 437 503# 603* 706# 804 902 278 363 438# 504# 608 708 818 903 279 364 439 507 615 724 819 904# 283# 365 440 510 617* 726 823* 905 291 367 443# 512 619 727 831 906# 292 368 446 515 620 731 832 928 294 369 449# 519* 621* 732 838 932 295 371 451 526* 622* 733 844 938 296 373 452 527# 623 734* 850# 942 * Denotes prefix being duplicated in 914 #Denotes Wireless Prefix which carrier may elect to retain in 914

914 PREFIXES 200 277* 337 428 533 603* 666 729 789 870 966 202 280 345 441 535 604 667 730 792 872 967 205 281 347 442 536 605 668 734* 793 873 968 206 282 350 444 537 606 669* 736* 798 874 969 209 284 360 445 538 609 670 737* 801 881 971 214 285 366 447 539 610 671 738 803 882 972 216 286 370 448 544 612 672 739* 814 885 973 217 287 372 460 545 613 673 740 820 890 976 218 288 375 461 546 614 674 741 821 891 979 219 289 376 467 547 616 681 742 822 898 993 231 290 377 472 548 617* 682 743* 823* 899 996 232 299 378 476 549 618 683 745 824 907 997 233 300 379 478 551 621* 684 746 825 908 998 234 301 380 479 553 622* 686 747 826 921 235 302 381 481 554 628* 689 748 827 922 237 303 390 490 555 630 690 749 828 923 238 304 391 492 558 631 693 750 829 925 239 305 392 493 559 632 694 751 830 933 240 307 393 494 570 633 696 760 833 934 241 309 394 495 572 636 697 761 834 935 242 310 395 499 576 637 698 762 835 937 243 312 397 502 580 640 699 763 836 939 244 313 400 505 581 641 701 764 837 941 245 316 402* 506 582 642 702 765 839 944 248 317 403 508 584 643 704 766 840 945 249 318 404 509 585 644 705 767 841 946 251 319 405 513 587 645 707 768 842 948 253 320 407 514 588 646 709 769 843 949 259 321 409 517 589 649 712 771 846 951 260 322 410 519* 590 652 713 772 847 952 261 323 412 520 591 653 714 773 848 953 262 324 413 521 592 654 715 775 851 954 263 325 414 522 593 655 719 776 852 955 269 328 418 523 594 656 720 777 854 957 271 329 419 524 595 659 721 779 857 961 272 330 420 525 596 662 722 784 860 962 273 332 421 526* 597 663 723 785 861 963 275 333 422 528* 598 664 725 787 864 964 276* 335 423 532 602 665 728 788* 865 965 * Denotes Prefix being duplicated in 845

SOURCE NeuStar