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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Calling mom? Don't forget to use the area 801 code.
In preparation for adding a new 385 area code to Wasatch Front numbers next year, Utah's Public Service Commission wants 801 dialers to start using 10-digit numbers when making local calls.
Commission spokeswoman Julie Orchard says the "permissive dialing" period is a chance for callers to get used to the change. She says the 385 prefix is scheduled for use beginning March 2009 and by then all local calls -- no matter the area code -- will require 10 digits.
The new area code is needed because growth has exhausted the available 801-area phone lines. The change will apply to both landlines and cellular phones.
Last year commissioners voted to "overlay" the new area code over the 801 dialing area instead of forcing some Utah communities to change phone numbers.
Information from: DeseretNews
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
