By Lesley Weidenbener
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS – Residents in Southern Indiana will be required to use 10-digit dialing – even for calls across town – starting Feb. 7, with a new area code implemented one month later.
The new dialing requirements mean an area code must be used to place all calls. And the later change means that newly assigned numbers will start with 930, meaning next-door neighbors could have different area codes.
Both changes had been scheduled to go into effect this fall. But the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission postponed the implementation after concerns that businesses and telecommunications weren’t prepared for the switch. Officials said Thursday they were particularly worried about the medical and law enforcement industries.
The changes impact what is now the 812 area code, which covers roughly the southern third of the state. The IURC is adding the 930 code because 812 is running out of numbers.
In anticipation of the mandatory dialing period, the IURC is urging customers to check with alarm service providers or providers of other services that use the telephone network to ensure the customer’s equipment is capable of using 10-digits.
Customers should also update medical records, business materials, personal contacts, and pet I.D. tags with all 10 digits of their phone numbers.
Currently, customers can voluntarily use 10-digit dialing even for local numbers.
