To ensure a continuing supply of telephone numbers, the North Carolina Utilities Commission ordered a 743 Area Code Overlay for the area currently assigned to the 336 area code. The new 743 area code will be “overlaid” over the same geographical area as the current 336 area code so that two area codes, 743 and 336, will be assigned to the area, generally covering the Piedmont, including the cities of Greensboro, Winston Salem, High Point, Kernersville, Burlington, North Wilkesboro, Roxboro and Asheboro.
New Dialing Pattern
Residential and business customers assigned to the existing 336 area code should prepare for the introduction of the new 743 area code. Use of an overlay area code requires that customers must dial 10 digits (area code + 7-digit local telephone number) to complete local calls within their area code calling area. To help customers prepare for this change and ensure a smooth transition, beginning October 24, 2015, customers may begin placing local calls by using the new 10-digit local dialing pattern. Customers may continue to use 7-digit local dialing until April 22, 2016, when that option will come to an end. Effective on April 23, 2016, all local calls must be placed using the 10-digit telephone number (336 or 743 plus the 7-digit local telephone number). Beginning May 23, 2016, customers in the 336 area code region requesting new service, adding an additional line, or in some cases moving their service, may be assigned new numbers using either 336 or the new 743 area code.
Facts About the New Area Code
The most important facts that consumers and businesses need to know about the upcoming 743 area code overlay are:
- Your telephone number, including current area code, will not change, but may if you move your service.
- You will need to dial area code + 7-digit local telephone number for all local calls.
- For billing purposes, what is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed.
- You will continue to dial 1+ area code + 7-digit local telephone number for all long distance calls.
- The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change due to the overlay.
- You can still dial just three digits to reach 911.
- If 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711 or 811 are currently available in your community, you will still dial these codes with just three digits.
Planning for the New Area Code
Customers should identify their telephone number as a ten digit number (area code + 7-digit local telephone number), and include the area code when giving the number to their friends, family, business associates and business customers, etc.
Customers should ensure that all services, automatic dialing equipment, applications, software, or other types of equipment recognize the new 743 area code as a valid area code. Some examples are life safety systems, fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, alarm and security systems, gates, speed dialers, mobile phone contact lists, call forwarding settings, voicemail services, and similar functions. Be sure to check your business stationery, website, advertising materials, personal checks, and your personal or pet ID tags to ensure the area code is included in your telephone number. Remember that all local calls must be programmed using 10-digits and you need to add “1” for all long distance calls.
For more information, please visit the North Carolina Utilities Commission’s website at www.ncuc.net. If customers have any questions regarding information provided in this release, please call North State Customer Service at 336-886-3600 or send us a message.