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January 23, 2025
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Albany

PSC Approves New Area Code for New York City Area

PSC Approves New Area Code for New York City Area
Commission Action Needed as Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Marble Hill Section of Manhattan Exhaust Supply of Telephone Numbers

ALBANY — The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) today approved the petition by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) to implement an all-services area code overlay as the preferred means of providing area code relief for the 347, 718, 917 and 929 area codes, which serves the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Marble Hill sections of the New York City metropolitan area.

“There is a clear need for more telephone numbers as a result of economic growth and activity in the New York City metro areas, therefore, an additional area code is required,” said Commission Chair Rory M. Christian. “The new area code overlay will be able to address the expansion of telecommunication services which serves this region and to support future demand.”

Demand for new phone numbers is driven largely by the phenomenal growth of new technology that requires an individual phone number, such as cell phones and tablets, and it is seen as a sign of economic growth in a particular region. The request for a new area code in the New York metro area has been subject to public review and comment since May 2024.

NANPA, which administers the numbering system for telephone networks in the United States, advises the Commission when the supply of central office codes (the first three digits in a 7-digit phone number) within certain area codes in New York will exhaust within a three-year period. Due to a robust demand for central office codes, NANPA requested the Commission to issue an order for relief as soon as possible for the constrained areas.

NANPA will select the 3-digit number that will be used for the area code in the coming months.

The Commission examined both the ‘all services overlay’ and the ‘boundary elimination overlay’ options presented by NANPA. The Commission determined that an all services overlay is the preferred relief option because it is easier to implement from a technical standpoint and less confusing from a customer standpoint.  In this case, the Commission finds again that relief by an all-services overlay is in the public interest because of the expected long-term benefit with the least expense and disruption to consumers. An overlay occurs when a new area code is superimposed over an existing calling area, and, by definition, it results in more than one area code serving the same calling area or region.

Under an all services overlay plan, existing telephone numbers remain unchanged, and all new telephone numbers would be assigned the new area code once the supply of central office codes under the existing area code exhausts. When the remaining 347, 718, 917 and 929 central office codes are exhausted, all future phone number assignments will be made in the new area code. A date has not been set when the current area codes will be exhausted.

All of the new area codes created in the United States and New York State over the past several years have been implemented via an overlay. With the overlay method, customers served by both the old area code and the new area code will need to dial 10 digits (the area code plus the 7-digit number) on calls in their area code, and 1 plus 10 digits for calls to numbers outside their area code.

Because 10-digit dialing is already well established in this region, the eventual addition of the new area code covering the same geographic area will not require any changes to the way area residents and businesses dial telephone calls – aside from using the new area code, when necessary.

In 2022, the Commission approved an overlay as relief in the 516, 845 and 716 area codes.

Today’s decision may be obtained by going to the Commission Documents section of the Commission’s Web site at www.dps.ny.gov and entering Case Number 24-C-0314 in the input box labeled "Search for Case/Matter Number". Many libraries offer free Internet access. Commission documents may also be obtained from the Commission’s Files Office, 14th floor, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12223 (518-474-2500). If you have difficulty understanding English, please call us at 1-800-342-3377 for free language assistance services regarding this press release.

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