Bell Atlantic Reminds Callers to Get Ready For
10-Digit Dialing, New Area Codes
Remember to Dial 'Ten-number Number' When Calling
Other Numbers in 215, 610 Area Codes

PHILADELPHIA, June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Bell Atlantic (NYSE: BEL) is reminding its southeastern Pennsylvania customers that they now must dial 10 digits to make calls within or between the 215 and 610 area codes.

Telephone companies next month also will begin assigning two new area codes to customers ordering new lines or changing their phone service.

"The rehearsal is over. Southeastern Pennsylvania customers must dial the area code and seven-digit phone number -- or Ten-number Number(SM) -- when calling people in the 215 and 610 area codes," said Sandy Scott, Bell Atlantic -- Pennsylvania manager of area code customer education. "Customers calling between the 215 and 610 area codes no longer will have to dial '1' first. However, their calls will still go through if they first dial '1.' "

Since December, the company has encouraged people to get used to dialing Ten-number Numbers. On June 5 and after, callers in these two area codes who dial a seven-digit number will hear a recorded message instructing them to dial both the area code and telephone number.

In addition, two new area codes are being introduced in southeastern Pennsylvania. Starting in July, customers who request new service, an additional line or, in some cases, who want to move their service to another location may be assigned numbers in the new 267 and 484 area codes. The new 267 area code will have the same geographic boundaries as the current 215 code. The new 484 area code will parallel the boundaries of the current 610 code.

Customers must dial Ten-number Numbers when making calls within or between these four area codes.

What's Not Changing

The additional area codes and move to Ten-number Number dialing in southeastern Pennsylvania will not affect current telephone numbers, dialing to reach 911 service, the price of telephone service or local calling areas. A local call today will still be a local call when 10-digit dialing and the new area codes are in effect. Customers can get more information on their local calling areas by checking the customer guide section in the front of their Bell Atlantic White Pages directories.

What Is Changing

Consumers and businesses must reprogram any telephone system or optional service such as Call Forwarding that dials other phone numbers in southeastern Pennsylvania by June 5. (A list of some equipment and services that may require reprogramming follows this release.)

Growth, Competition Drive Need for New Area Codes

The demand for new telephone numbers is exploding as people are communicating more than ever using additional phone lines, cellular phones, pagers, computer modems and fax machines. In addition, Pennsylvanians increasingly have a choice of which company provides their local phone service, and these competing companies require phone numbers for their customers.

This heavy demand for phone numbers is driving the need for new area codes in Pennsylvania and across the country. In fact, the new 570 area code has been added to serve northeastern Pennsylvania, and the 724 code was created in western Pennsylvania.

For More Information

Bell Atlantic is spreading the word about Ten-number Number dialing and the new area codes in a number of ways. The company is running advertising, and information on the dialing change and new area codes has appeared in Extra, a newsletter included in customers' Bell Atlantic phone bills. Employees are meeting with civic and senior citizen organizations, and the company has distributed hundreds of thousands of Ten-number Number coloring books to make children aware of the dialing change.

"We're reaching out to customers young and old," said Scott. "We want customers to adapt to these changes as comfortably as possible, and we appreciate their understanding and patience," said Scott.

Bell Atlantic implemented Ten-number Number dialing in Maryland two years ago, and customers there have successfully adapted to the change.

Pennsylvanians can get more information on the area codes and dialing changes by calling Bell Atlantic's toll-free Area Code Information Line (800-500-2167) or by visiting the company's special area code pages on the World Wide Web (http://www.bellatlantic.com/areacode).

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and information industry. With 43 million telephone access lines and nine million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations and investments in 23 countries.

Attention 215 and 610 Area Code Customers:

Reprogram Now for New Area Codes, Ten-number Number Dialing

All telephone customers in the 215 and 610 area codes who use telephone equipment or a Bell Atlantic service that currently dials seven-digit phone numbers in southeastern Pennsylvania must reprogram that equipment or service as soon as possible to dial the new codes and the Ten-number Number(SM) for every seven-digit number they dial today. This reprogramming must be completed by June 5.

Some examples of equipment or Bell Atlantic services that may need to be reprogrammed include:

  • Computers used for Internet access Modems
  • Speed dialing lists
  • Automatic dialers
  • Cellular and mobile phones
  • Security systems (ask your security company)
  • PBX business phone systems (ask your PBX supplier)
  • Pagers
  • Fax machines
  • Call Block
  • Priority Call
  • Home Voice Mail or Answer Call with special delivery
  • Call Forwarding
  • Call Gate(SM) Service
  • Do Not Disturb Service

In addition, be sure to update phone lists, databases, billing records and address books to include area codes. Notify business contacts, associates, friends and relatives of your area code. And be sure to include the area code when exchanging telephone numbers.

For more information on Pennsylvania area codes or Ten-number Number dialing, call Bell Atlantic's Area Code Information Line on 800-500-2167 (toll-free) or visit the company's area code pages on the World Wide Web (http://www.bellatlantic.com/areacode).

INTERNET USERS: Bell Atlantic news releases, executive speeches, news media contacts and other useful information are available at Bell Atlantic's News Center on the World Wide Web (http://www.ba.com). To receive news releases by email, visit the News Center and register for personalized automatic delivery off Bell Atlantic news releases.

SOURCE Bell Atlantic