11/25/1997|Verizon News Archives
Bell Atlantic bridges York River with free calling
Local calls to Gloucester, Hayes require 10-digit dialing
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RICHMOND, Va. -- Beginning Dec. 1, Bell Atlantic-Virginia customers on the lower peninsula will be able to make local calls across the York River to Gloucester and Hayes. Bell Atlantic is eliminating long-distance charges on these calls.
Because the expanded local service crosses an area code boundary, customers will need to dial 10 digits (the area code plus the seven-digit local number) when dialing a local phone call. However, it will no longer be necessary to dial a '1' first.
The Bell Atlantic exchanges (first three digits of the seven-digit phone number) affected are served by the 757 area code. They are:
Hampton - 268, 722, 723, 726, 727, 728, 764, 766, 825, 826, 827, 838, 848, 850, 851, 864, 865 and 896.
Newport News - 244, 245, 247, 380, 591, 594, 595, 596, 597, 599, 688, 867, 926, 928 and 930.
Peninsula - 249, 269, 613, 820, 833, 847, 849, 856, 872, 873, 874, 875, 877, 878, 881, 882, 884, 885, 886, 887, 888, 890, 898, 931, 988 and 989.
Poquoson - 868.
Customers in Gloucester ( 693, 694, 695, 699 and 815) and Hayes (642 and 684) are served by GTE-Virginia in the 804 area code.
The expansion of the local calling area results in a modest increase in basic monthly rates for those affected Bell Atlantic customers. Monthly residential rates for flat-rate, unlimited local calling will increase by: 11 cents in Hampton; 17 cents in Newport News; 20 cents in the Peninsula exchange, and 25 cents in Poquoson.
Directory listings for Gloucester and Hayes are now available by dialing 411. It is no longer necessary to dial 1-804-555-1212.
The Gloucester and Hayes listings will be included in Bell Atlantic's 1998 Peninsula directory, which will be distributed in January.
The new Bell Atlantic - formed through the merger of Bell Atlantic and NYNEX - is at the forefront of the new communications, information and entertainment industry. With 40 million telephone access lines and 5.8 million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations and investments in 21 countries.