BEGINNING MAY 19, 2018

Customers with 619 and 858 Area Codes must dial 1 + area code + phone number

To ensure a continuing supply of telephone numbers, the boundary line between the 619 and 858 area codes will be eliminated and the two areas served by the 619 and 858 area codes will be combined. This is known as a boundary elimination area code overlay. Get ready to change the way you dial your local calls!

What is a boundary elimination area code overlay?

The boundary elimination overlay does not require customers with a 619 or 858 area code to change their existing area code, but does require them to dial “1” followed by the area code and the seven-digit telephone number on every call, including calls within the same area code.

Who will be affected?

Everyone with a 619 or 858 area code is affected. The 619 area code principally serves the southern portion of the City of San Diego and the adjacent cities of Chula Vista, Coronado, El Cajon, Imperial Beach, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, National City, Santee and unincorporated areas of San Diego County. The 858 area code serves the northern portion of the City of San Diego along with the adjacent cities of Del Mar, Poway, Solana Beach and a small portion of the City of Encinitas, as well as an unincorporated area of San Diego County. Once the boundary elimination area code overlay is implemented, both area codes will serve the combined region.

What is the new dialing procedure?

To complete calls from a landline phone, the new dialing procedure requires anyone with a 619 or 858 area code to dial 1 + area code + telephone number. This means that all calls in the 619 or 858 area code that are currently dialed with 7 digits will need to be dialed with 11 digits using the new 1 + area code + telephone number dialing procedure.

To complete calls from a cellular or mobile phone, callers may dial area code + telephone number or 1 + area code + telephone number whenever placing a call from a phone number with the 619 or 858 area code.

When will the new dialing procedure become mandatory?

  • Beginning May 19, 2018, you must use the new dialing procedure, even for local calls. After this date, if you do not use the new dialing procedure, your calls will not be completed and a recording will instruct you to hang up and dial again using the new dialing procedure.
 
  • Beginning June 19, 2018, new telephone lines or services in the former 619 region may be assigned numbers using the 858 area code, and conversely, new telephone lines or services in the former 858 region may be assigned numbers using the 619 area code.

What will you need to do?

In addition to changing your dialing procedure, all services, automatic dialing equipment, or other types of equipment that are programmed to dial a 7-digit number will need to be reprogrammed to use the new dialing procedures. Some examples are life safety systems and medical monitoring devices, ankle monitors, PBXs, fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, alarm and security systems and gates, speed dialers, call forwarding settings, voicemail services, stored telephone numbers in contacts lists in wireless or cordless phones, and other similar services or equipment. Many systems operate on 1+10-digit or 10-digit dialing by default, but some older equipment may still use 7 digits. Please contact your medical alert or security provider if you do not know whether your equipment needs to be reprogrammed to accommodate for the upcoming change to 1+10-digit dialing. You may also want to check your personal and business stationery and checks, advertising materials, websites, contact information, and personal or pet ID tags to ensure the area code is included.

What will remain the same?

  • Your telephone number, including current area code, will not change.
  • The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change due to the overlay.
  • What is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed.
  • You can still dial just three digits to reach 911, as well as 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711 and 811.

Who may you contact with questions?

If you have any questions regarding information provided in this notice, please call T-Mobile USA at 1-877-453-1304 or access the following website for more information: https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/AreaCodes/