Area code 726

Area code 806 Area code 940 Area codes 682 and 817 Area codes 682 and 817 Area codes 214, 469, and 972 Area codes 214, 469, and 972 Area codes 430 and 903 Area code 505 Area code 915 Area code 432 Area codes 281, 346, 713, and 832 Area codes 281, 713, and 832 Area code 979 Area code 936 Area code 409 Area code 361 Area code 956 Area code 210 Area code 210 Area code 830 Area code 512 Area code 254 Area code 325 Area code 318 Area code 337 Area code 870 Area code 580
Clickable map of Texas and border codes, with area code 210 highlighted.

Area code 726 is a planned, Public Utilities Commission (PUC) assigned telephone area code for numbers in and near San Antonio, Texas. It will be an enclave area code—similar to area code 312 in Chicago, or the already-existing area code 210 in San Antonio—because it will be completely surrounded by area code 830. This change will introduce the requirement for ten-digit dialing to the San Antonio metro area. Current 210 holding customers, however, will retain that area code and current phone numbers.

Background

San Antonio's 210 area code was created in 1992, and has since become part of the area's culture and identity.[1] Because area code 210 is close to exhaustion (estimated to be full by 2018)[2] due to San Antonio and Bexar County's rapid growth,[1][3] the need for additional switching capability became apparent to PUC by 2008.[4][1] Current customers will keep their numbers and area code, however, new customers will be assigned either 210 or 726 area codes.[3]

Details

Planning for the new area code began in June 2015.[2][4] The code was officially assigned to the Bexar County area in August 2016, and will go into effect in October 2017.[4][1] Public education efforts about the upcoming change will commence in September 2016.[1]

Area code 726 will be an overlay number, sharing the same area now serviced by area code 210.[1] Up until the new service is introduced, San Antonio will remain the largest city in Texas where seven-digit dialing is still possible.[1] The implementation of overlay area code 726 will include a change to ten-digit dialing for the San Antonio metropolitan area.[1] A six-month permissive period allowing either seven- or ten-digit dialing is set to begin in March 2017,[1] but afterward, dialing ten digits will be required for phone service.[4]

Affected areas

Scope of new area code

Residents in most of Bexar, and small portions of Atascosa, Comal, Guadalupe, Medina, and Wilson will be affected.[3]

Cities, towns, and unincorporated areas to be served by this area code include

Adkins, Alamo Heights, Artesia Wells, Atascosa, Balcones Heights, Castle Hills, China Grove, Cibolo, Converse, Ecleto, Elmendorf, Garden Ridge, Helotes, Hill Country Village, Hollywood Park, Kirby, Leon Springs, Leon Valley, Live Oak, Losoya, Macdona, Olmos Park, Saint Hedwig, San Antonio, Sandy Oaks, Shavano Park, Schertz, Selma, Terrell Hills, Universal City, Von Ormy, Wetmore, and Windcrest.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 San Antonio Will Soon Have Two Area Codes; Business Journals.com; accessed August 2016
  2. 1 2 NPA Relief Activity – Status; NanPa online website; accessed August 2016
  3. 1 2 3 New area code assigned to San Antonio; by Nadeau, Selina; (Ibanez, David - web managing editor); KSAT; accessed August 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 PUC News; Public Utilities Commission of Texas online; accessed July 2016

External links

Texas area codes: 210, 214, 254, 281, 325, 346, 361, 409, 430, 432, 469, 512, 682, 713, 737, 806, 817, 830, 832, 903, 915, 936, 940, 956, 972, 979
North: 830
West: 830 Area codes 726 / 210 East: 830
South: 830

Coordinates: 29°25′N 98°30′W / 29.417°N 98.500°W / 29.417; -98.500

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/29/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.