Currently, anyone living in Indiana’s 574 and 219 area codes can dial local calls with seven digits instead of 10 – but that’s set to change next month.
Starting Oct. 24, residents will have to dial those area codes – which cover most of WVPE’s Indiana listening area – if they want to complete a local call.
The state Utility Regulatory Commission and the Office of Utility Consumer Counselor asked residents to start practicing 10-digit dialing back in April. They say the change is necessary to support the new National Suicide Prevention Hotline, which will launch in July of next year.
Seven-digit local calls will still work through the Oct. 24 deadline, but after that, they won’t go through.
State regulators say the change won’t affect anyone’s phone number, area code, coverage area or service rate.
Contact Gemma atgdicarlo@wvpe.orgor follow her on Twitter at@gemma_dicarlo.
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