Ontario Is Getting A Brand-New Area Code & Here's Who Can Sign Up For It
It'll start with a 6, but it's not going to be in Toronto.
Elgin Street in downtown Sudbury, Ontario. Right: Phone lines.
Ontario: if you're getting a new phone with brand-new digits, you might actually be getting a new area code too.
As of June 18, the brand-new 683 area code will be up for grabs in the province. According to a press release from the Telecommunications Alliance, this will be introduced in the same area that's currently using the 249 and 705 area codes (which stretches across northeastern Ontario in spots like North Bay and Sudbury).
Starting Saturday, "Consumers and businesses requesting a new phone number may receive one with the new area code," Program Manager of the Canadian Numbering Administrator, Kelly T. Walsh said in a statement.
So, why is there a new area code? Well, according to the Telecommunications Alliance, new area codes are brought in when phone numbers start to run out in the area.
"Adding a new area code enables more than seven million new phone numbers to be created," its website reads.
Just because there's going to be a new area code here doesn't mean that your existing phone number will change or anything. It just means that anyone requesting a new phone number may get one with the 683 area code.
The alliance also noted that the new area code won't change the boundaries of the local calling areas, as they will all stay the same.
Anyone who needs to call any specialty number like 911 or 311 can still dial it like they normally would by punching in their three digits.
Earlier this year, as of March 23, those living in and around Ottawa got a new area code too. So, anyone who moves to this region and applies for a new phone number may get hit with the 753 area code instead of the existing 613 or 343.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.