Scarcity of 480 numbers leads to new system for assigning area codes in Phoenix area

Any new phone or extra line that you receive after Sept. 12 could be assigned a 480, 602 or 623 area code — whether you live in Tolleson or Tempe, Scottsdale or Surprise, or Phoenix or Peoria — thanks to a policy adopted two years ago to meet the rising demand for phone numbers around metro Phoenix.

But customers won’t be assigned a new area code for existing phones. Nor will they face higher local-dialing costs.

The Arizona Corporation Commission removed the geographic boundary restrictions among metro Phoenix's three area codes in November 2021, starting a transition period. The new policy could increase dialing confusion but it also means a sufficient number of new phone numbers will be available for years to come, to meet growth in the number of residents and phone lines.

The policy also means customers with existing phones won’t be assigned a new area code which could result in the need to change advertisements, print new business cards or brochures, notify friends and update personal and business contacts.

The new policy reflects the need to deal with a scarcity of 480 numbers, with still-ample numbers in the other two area codes, especially 623, according to the commission. That code is mainly associated with the west and northwest metro area, while 480 caters to the East Valley and areas including Scottsdale.

The 602 code is sandwiched in between, the smallest of the three geographic areas focused in and around central Phoenix.

What the area-code changes mean

The changes could result in new customers getting assigned phones or lines with a different area code from their neighbors or even for other devices they might own. As of Aug. 12, customers in the 602 and 623 area codes had to start dialing 10 digits — the area code plus seven-digit number (but not with a “1” first) — for calls made within or between the metro Phoenix area codes. Earlier, 480 customers made this shift. This transition means phone numbers with different area codes will work equally within the same geographic area.

The change also means customers might need to make updates on medical monitoring devices, PBX office phone systems, fax machines, security systems, security gates, speed dialers, call-forward settings, voicemail services and contact lists.

Phone charges won’t change, meaning local calls remain local, regardless of the number of digits dialed. Customers still need to dial 1 plus the area code and number for long-distance calls. Emergency and special service numbers including 711, 911 and 988 and community service numbers like 211, 311 and 411 still require three digits only. People who dial incorrectly will hear a recording informing them that their call can’t be completed as dialed.

The commission had a choice between creating a new area code for metro Phoenix or adopting this system, which is called an “overlay” solution that removes boundary restrictions among 480, 602 and 623.

As noted, the change means 602 and 623 customers as of Aug. 12 have had to dial the area code plus a seven-digit telephone number on every call, including those within the same area code, joining 480 callers who already have been doing this. What changes now is that new phone numbers or additional lines may be assigned any of the three area codes.

Different ways to deal with phone-line demand

According to information provided by the commission, area codes were first developed during the 1940s to meet a postwar surge in the demand for phone service, and today there are nearly 800 in use in the United States. In 1999, metro Phoenix's 602 area code was split into 602, 480 and 623. Without the latest overlay change, the 480 code was on pace to exhaust its supply of numbers by early next year.

The commission chose an overlay that eliminates the geographic boundaries while not requiring existing customers to change their area code. The regulatory agency determined that continuing to slice up or split existing area codes was not an efficient long-term solution. Arizona one day still might need new area codes, but this new policy postpones that possibility for many years.

The commission pointed to metro Chicago as an area with an increasingly dissected array of six area codes, while it cited California and Texas among the states that have adopted an overlay system.

For further information, customers should contact their telephone service provider or call the commission’s Phoenix office at 602-542-4251, toll free at 1-800-222-7000 or via email at UtilitiesDiv@azcc.gov.

Reach the reporter at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Scarcity of 480 numbers leads to new system for assigning area codes