The Chronicles Of Grant County
10-Digit Calling Now Mandatory
(This image was provided courtesy of the North American Numbering Plan Administrator, 2021.)
As of Sunday, October 24, people in Grant County need to include the regional telephone area code when making local telephone calls. Up until that date, calls could be made locally without using an area code.
This change has been implemented to allow a new 3-digit telephone number.
Most people are used to dialing "911" to contact law enforcement, fire protection, and other emergency responders. In many communities, "211" is used to provide information and referrals to callers about health and human service organizations in their area, while "311" is used to provide information and referrals to non-emergency governmental services. The telephone number "711" is used by people who have need to access the Telecommunications Relay Services, while the telephone number "811" is used by landowners and contractors to call prior to digging in the ground to avoid accidently hitting underground utilities.
These 3-digit numbers were designed to make life easier and more consistent throughout the United States.
Plans call for a new 3-digit number – "988" – to become fully operational on July 16, 2022. This number will be used for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In the interim, the current toll-free number for this service is 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
"The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," according to a statement from the Lifeline. "We're committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awareness."
The three digits of "988" have been used as a prefix in some regular seven-digit telephone numbers in New Mexico and a number of other states. Because of that, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued an order to change dialing patterns people use locally and throughout the country so that calls do not inadvertently go to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Rather than waiting until the "988" telephone number goes into full operation in the Summer of 2022, the FCC determined that it would be best to begin mandatory use of ten-digit dialing now.
According to a statement from the State of New Mexico, on and after October 24, "…local calls dialed with only 7 digits may not be completed, and a recording will inform you that your call cannot be completed as dialed. If you get this recording, you must hang up and dial again using the area code with the 7-digit telephone number."
"In addition to changing your dialing patterns, all services, automatic dialing equipment, or other types of equipment that are programmed to complete local calls using only 7-digit numbers will need to be reprogrammed to complete calls to 10-digit numbers," the statement continued. Among examples of these items listed by the State are "…life safety systems or medical monitoring devices, PBXs, fax machines, internet dial-up numbers, fire or burglar alarm and security systems or gates, speed dialers, mobile or other wireless phone contact lists, call forwarding settings, voicemail services, and other similar functions."
A few items to update may not be as obvious, but may be ones that local folks might consider updating given this change to ten-digit telephone dialing. Among such items are websites, stationery, advertising materials, bank checks, identification cards for pets, and other items that may include a telephone number.
While this change in telephone dialing may impact people throughout Grant County in several ways, other things won't change. None of the current 3-digit telephone numbers ("911," "811," etc.) will change. "Your telephone number, including current area code, will not change," according to the statement from the State of New Mexico. "The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change due to the dialing change. What is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed. You will continue to dial 1+ the area code + telephone number for all long-distance calls. You will continue to dial a prefix when dialing from a multi-line telephone system (i.e., in a hotel, office building, etc.) as required."
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© 2021 Richard McDonough