Press Release

New Area Code Assigned to Michigan's 517 Calling Area 989 Will Be New Area Code in Geographic Split Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 9, 1999) - Michigan's 517 area code, which covers the central Michigan region, will receive the new 989 area code as part of the geographic split plan, according to the Communications Industry Services (CIS) group of NeuStar, Inc., which serves as the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA).

Michigan's north central area, which includes Saginaw, Midland, Bay City, Mount Pleasant and Alpena, will receive the 989 area code, while phone customers in the south central/Lansing area will retain the 517 area code.

Once the new 989 area code is implemented - in August 2000 - calls made between the 517 and 989 will require 10-digits or 1+10-digits. Service providers will educate their customers to their dialing pattern. However, the introduction of the 989 area code will not affect the price of telephone calls. Local calls will remain local calls regardless of the area code dialed.

To introduce the new 989 area code, an "optional dialing" period will begin August 19, 2000 and run through January 20, 2001. During the optional dialing period, calls made from outside the area can use either the 517 or the 989 area code when completing a call to customers in the new 989 area code.Once required dialing begins, callers will need to use the correct area code to complete their calls.

Sandy Tokarek, NANPA's senior area code relief planner for the Central Region, including Michigan, said the introduction of the split 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:

• Changing stationery, business cards and advertising to reflect the correct area code if not already shown.
• Updating fax machine group calling lists.
• Reprogramming speed dialers, auto dialers, alarms and PBX (private phone systems)
• Reprogramming out-dial lists on personal computers.
• Updating or reprogramming private-dial entry access systems.

A telecommunications industry group comprised of more than 15 companies collectively developed the area code relief plan for the 517 and 989 area codes 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.