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Press ReleaseNew "Overlay" Relief Plan for 810 Area Code WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 16, 1999) — A new overlay area code - 586 - has been assigned to Michigan's 810 area code, which covers the north and northeastern area of metro Detroit, according to the Communications Industry Services (CIS) group of Neustar, Inc., which serves as the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA). The 586 area code is the first overlay for Michigan, which was recently approved by telecommunications service providers in Michigan to provide relief for the 810 area code. The new area code will serve the same geographic area as the current 810 area code. In an overlay area code, a second area code is added to the same geographic area as the existing area code, with all existing numbers retaining the 810 area code. New telephone customers for local phone service, cellular and paging services, and alarms assigned in the same area may receive telephone numbers in the new 586 area code. In addition, all telephone calls made in the 810/586 overlay area will require 10-digit (area code + seven-digit phone number) or 1+10-digit dialing (1+ area code + seven-digit phone number)- this includes calls currently dialed with seven digits in the 810 area code and even those within the same area code. The new dialing requirements vary among the different telephone service providers, who will educate their customers to the specific dialing plan, whether its 10-digits or 1+10 digits. To introduce the new 586 overlay area code, a three-month "optional dialing" period begins on February 5, 2000, and runs until May 6, 2000. During that time, customers calling from within the 810 area can dial either the seven-, 10- or 1+10 digit telephone number, and are encouraged to begin dialing 10 digits or 1+ 10 digits on all calls starting in February, to get used to the new dialing plan for the 810 and 586 area codes. At the end of the "optional dialing" period - May 6, 2000 - callers must use the new 10-digit or 1+10-digit dialing to complete their calls. Callers who don't use the new dialing pattern will receive a recorded message reminding them to dial 10 digits or 1+10 digits. They will then be required to redial the number. Sandy Tokarek, NANPA's senior area code relief planner for the Central Region, including Michigan, said the introduction of the new 586 area code is needed due to an increase in competition in the local phone service market, the growing demand by the public for additional telephone numbers, and a technical requirement in the phone network that allocates phone numbers in blocks of 10,000. When switching to or adding a new area code, Tokarek said there are several items customers should remember including:
Tokarek said the introduction of the 586 area code will not affect the price of telephone calls. "Local calls will remain local calls regardless of the area code dialed," she noted. A telecommunications industry group comprised of more than 16 companies collectively developed the area code relief plan for the 810/586 overlay in Michigan. Area code relief activities are administered by CIS, which was selected by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to serve as the NANPA. NANPA is a neutral, third-party administrator that works with the telecommunications industry in developing area code relief plans and also oversees the assignment of area codes, three-digit central office codes, carrier identification codes, and other numbering resources throughout the United States, Canada, Bermuda, and 16 Caribbean countries. For media inquiries, please contact Bill Stern, spokesman for the North American Numbering Plan Administration, at 202-533-2648. |
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