Area Code 570 Businesses Get Ready For 10-Digit Dialing

Pennsylvania in blue with Area Code 570 272 shown in red (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Area businesses are gearing up for a big change that will begin Saturday: 10-digit dialing instead of seven.

For Phil Rudy, owner of Circles on the Square in Wilkes-Barre, the change means 200 numbers need to be reprogrammed in his fax machine. He faxes menus from his deli on Public Square to 200 area businesses. Circles employee Bill Scholl has been reprogramming all the numbers.

Beginning Saturday, everyone in Northeastern Pennsylvania will have to dial 10 digits to make a local call.

“I hate it,” Rudy said. “I don’t understand why we had to go that way. Why do we have to dial 10 numbers for local numbers? I don’t know why you have to dial 10 numbers for your neighbor next door.”

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/businesses-get-ready-for-10-digit-dialing-1.1554792

570 Area Code To Get Overlay

Several years ago the northern portion of the 717 area code became 570.  As the supply of phone numbers nears depletion, more phone numbers are needed.  The new 570 area code overly will be 272 and will go into use sometime in 2011.  The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted 5-0 to make this change. 

Overlays are the least disruptive way to add phone numbers.  After a trial period, 570/272 area code users will have to start dialing 10 digits instead of 7.  This will require the reprogramming of speed dialers etc…

Ten digit dialing isn’t so bad.  You’ll get used to it.  We did!