Southern California’s 909 Area Code is being divided to meet demand for new numbers

Get ready to use the new 951 area code.

To accommodate the growing need for new phone, fax and wireless numbers in Southern California, the current 909 Area Code is being divided and the new 951 Area Code added. Beginning Saturday, July 17, 2004 you should start using the new 951 Area Code when calling numbers with prefixes identified at the bottom of this message.

If you forget, your calls will still be completed until Saturday, October 30, 2004, when you will be required to use the new area code. That gives you more than three months to get into the habit of using the new 951 Area Code and reprogram any automatic dialing equipment you may have, such as fax machines, modems and wireless phones. (Keep in mind that these new dialing instructions apply to calls made to and from wireless phones, as well.) You should also update your personal phone book and get into the habit of dialing with the new area code.

Who is affected?

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently approved an area code split plan for the 909 Area Code. Because telephone numbers are growing scarce in 909 area, the telecommunications industry is adding a new area code. The 909 Area Code will be split generally along the San Bernardino/Riverside County line resulting in a northern section, which keeps the 909 Area Code, and a southern section, which gets a new area code – 951.

• Some cities in the northern section keeping the 909 Area Code include: Big Bear, Chino, Chino Hills, Claremont, Diamond Bar, Fontana, Grand Terrace, Highland, La Verne, Loma Linda, Montclair, Ontario, Pomona, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, San Bernardino, San Dimas, Upland, Walnut, Colton, Rialto, Calimesa and Yucaipa.

• Some cities in the southern section changing to the 951 Area Code include: Banning, Beaumont, Canyon Lake, Corona, Hemet, Lake Elsinore, most of Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Norco, Perris, San Jacinto, Temecula and Riverside. See the “Affected Prefixes” identified at the bottom of this message.

• Your seven-digit phone number isn’t changing.
• Rates aren’t changing.
• Your local calling area isn’t changing. A local call is still a local call; a toll call is still a toll call.
• What used to be a local call will remain a local call, although you may have to dial the area code.
• Dialing 911, 611 and 411 is not changing.

Your pager area code may not change after the 909/951-area code split. Please check with your paging service provider.

Now’s the time to update your contacts and information.
You should update phone numbers, business stationery, packaging, advertising, databases and billing records to include the new area code. Also, check with friends, family and business contacts and update your personal phone book with the appropriate area code and telephone numbers.

Reprogram your automatic dialing equipment.
If you have services or equipment that are programmed to dial a seven-digit number that will now require the 909 or 951 Area Code, you or your vendor should reprogram them to include 1+ the appropriate area code when dialing. These may include fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, alarm circuits, speed dialers, call forwarding, cell phones and beepers. As your wireless provider if you have questions related to your wireless services.

Will callers have to dial differently when the new area code is established?
All local calls within your area code can be dialed with just the seven-digit number. Local calls to other area codes will require 10 digits – the area code and the seven-digit number. As usual, dial a “1” before the area code. All operator-assisted calls, including credit card, collect and third-party calls, will require dialing “0” plus the 10 digits.

Using the new area code is easy. Here’s how: The X’s represent the numbers you’re dialing.

If you’re dialing from the 951 Area Code:

To make a call to this area code…
951 dial XXX-XXXX
909 dial 1-909-XXX-XXXX

If you’re dialing from the 909 Area Code:

To make a call to this area code…
909 dial XXX-XXXX
951 dial 1-951-XXX-XXXX

Questions?
If you have any questions about the new area codes, please call a TelePacific Service Representative at 1-877-487-8722.

Telephone numbers beginning with any of these prefixes will change from Area Code 909 to Area Code 951 on Saturday, July 17, 2004. Your seven-digit telephone number will remain the same. If your prefix is NOT listed below, your area code is NOT scheduled to change.

201 284 360 531 665 *738 845
202 285 360 532 667 *739 846
203 288 *361 533 671 *778 847
204 294 362 536 672 *779 849
205 295 367 537 674 *786 850
206 296 368 538 675 749 852
212 300 369 541 676 750 858
217 301 371 543 677 751 892
218 302 372 544 678 755 893
222 303 375 545 679 756 894
231 304 377 549 680 757 897
232 306 378 550 681 763 898
233 308 413 551 682 764 901
235 310 415 552 683 765 903
236 312 436 565 685 766 905
237 313 440 566 684 767 906
242 314 442 567 686 768 907
243 315 443 571 687 769 914
244 316 452 572 688 774 916
245 317 453 582 689 775 922
246 318 454 587 693 776 924
247 *320 461 588 694 780 925
248 *321 471 600 695 781 926
253 323 479 601 696 782 927
255 324 485 602 697 784 928
256 325 486 609 698 785 929
257 326 487 634 699 787 940
258 327 488 637 704 788 943
259 328 490 639 707 789 955
264 329 491 640 710 791 956
265 334 492 642 712 805 961
*270 340 493 643 719 808 963
271 343 500 651 723 809 965
*272 344 501 652 727 817 966
*273 346 505 653 729 818 968
*274 347 506 654 733 826 970
275 351 509 655 734 827 977
*276 *352 515 656 735 830 990
277 *353 520 657 737 833 *951
279 354 522 658 741 834
*280 *354 527 659 743 836
281 *358 529 660 *715 837
283 359 530 662 *735 840

* additional prefix numbers that will be affected by the 909 area code split