The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) announced today that mandatory ten-digit dialing is set to begin in September 2013 for residential and business customers within the existing 570 area code.
Presently, customers in this area are taking part in a permissive dialing period. However, beginning Sept. 21, 2013, mandatory 10-digit dialing will be required. During the upcoming mandatory dialing period, all calls must be made using the area code plus the seven-digit number. If only the seven-digit telephone number is dialed, customers will reach a recorded announcement stating they must hang up and redial the number using the area code plus the seven-digit number. This recording will be available permanently.
On July 15, 2010, the Commission approved an overlay plan for the 570 code, after consideration of public input and area code relief options. An overlay plan means that once the existing telephone numbers in the 570 area code are exhausted, new telephone services in that geographic region will be assigned telephone numbers out of the new area code, which has been designated as 272.
