Cricket Community

To accommodate the need for additional telephone numbers in the geographic area served by the 919 Area Code, the North Carolina Utilities Commission has approved the addition of the new 984 Area Code to cover the same geographical area as the 919 Area Code.

How will this affect me?
No one with a 919 Area Code will need to change their existing phone number when the 984 Area Code is introduced. However, anyone with a 919 or 984 telephone number will need to dial the Area Code followed by the 7-digit telephone number for all local calls, including calls with the same Area Code. The 919/984 geography covers the north central portion of North Carolina and serves communities such as Apex, Carrboro, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Garner, Goldsboro, Raleigh, Sanford, Smithfield, and Wake Forest. Please see the map below for an outline of the 919/984 Area Code region.

When will the 984 Area Code be effective?  

Customers seeking new telephone numbers in the affected region may be assigned the new 984 Area Code as early as April 30, 2012.

What is the dialing change?

Because of the addition of the new 984 Area Code, anyone with a 919 or 984 telephone number will be required to dial 10-digits (Area Code + 7-digit phone number) when making local calls. Long-distance calls will require 1+10-digit dialing, and Operator assisted calls will require 0+10-digit dialing.

When will the changes go into effect?

• Beginning October 1, 2011, you should begin dialing all local calls with 10-digits (Area Code+ 7-digits). This also applies to local calls both within the 919 Area Code, and to local calls from the 919 Area Code to nearby Area Codes. 
• As of March 31, 2012, you must dial 10-digits to complete all local calls. If you don’t dial all 10-digits, your call will not complete.

 

What needs to change?

• You will need to dial 10-digits (Area Code+ 7-digit phone number) for every local call, including calls within the same Area Code and to nearby Area Codes.
• You may need to reprogram or upgrade your equipment to accommodate the new dialing procedure if you use specialized communications equipment like a PBX, electronic telephone sets, auto-dial systems or multi-line key systems. Customers may see changes in the display screen on their phone sets based upon their particular type of device.
• Some automatically dialed calls may require reprogramming to include the new dialing procedure using 10-digits. These calls may include life safety systems, fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, alarm and security systems, speed dialers, call forwarding settings, voicemail services, and similar functions. Remember that you need to dial a “1” if these numbers are long distance. 
• Check your internet websites, business stationery, advertising materials, personal checks, contact information, ID tags and other items that include your telephone number to make sure the Area Code is included.

What will remain the same?

• Your telephone number, which includes your Area Code, will remain the same.
• The price of a call, local and long-distance calling areas, and other rates and services will not change as a result of the new Area Code. What is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed.
• You will continue to dial just three digits to reach 911.
• If 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711 and 811 are currently available for services in your community, you will continue to dial them with just three digits.

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding the information provided in this notice, please call Cricket Communications at 1-800-CRICKET or visit the North Carolina Utilities Commission website at www.ncuc.net.