Verizon Reminds New Jersey Customers Time Running Out to Prepare for New Area Codes

NEWARK, N.J. -- Verizon reminds residents and businesses in Northern and Central New Jersey they only have one more week-end to prepare for 10-digit dialing.

"It's very important that customers get familiar with the new dialing method and reprogram any equipment now, " said Mike Kaine, Verizon manager for area-code customer education. "A few minutes of preparation today will ensure that their calls go through once the dialing change occurs."

New Jersey is adding three new area codes with the same geographic boundaries as the current 973, 732, and 201 area codes. These "overlay" area codes will eliminate the need to split the existing codes into ever-smaller areas and allow customers to keep their current phone numbers.

The new area codes will overlay existing area codes as follows:

• 862 will overlay 973
• 848 will overlay 732
• 551 will overlay 201

While customer telephone numbers in the existing area codes will not change, beginning Dec. 1, all callers in the 973, 732, and 201 area codes will need to start dialing their "Ten-digit Number" -- the area code and the seven-digit number -- for calls within these area codes. (For simplicity sake, calls dialed using "1" before the 10-digit number will always go through, whether it's a local, toll or long distance call.)

Starting Dec. 1, callers in the affected areas who forget to dial using 10 digits will hear a message instructing them to dial both the area code and telephone number.

This change affects Northern and Central New Jersey customers in the 973, 732, and 201 area codes only. Customers in the rest of the state should continue to dial all their calls as they do today.

Beginning Dec. 29, local telephone companies may assign numbers in the new 862, 848, and 551 area codes to customers who request new phone service or additional lines.

The demand for new telephone numbers is exploding as residents and businesses in New Jersey and nationwide increasingly have a choice of which company provides their local phone service, and these competing companies require phone numbers for their customers.

What's Not Changing

The additional area codes and the move to 10-digit dialing will not affect current telephone numbers, dialing to reach 911 service, the price of telephone service or local calling areas. A local call today will still be a local call and a toll call will still be a toll call when 10-digit dialing and the new area codes are in effect.

What Is Changing

Consumers and businesses must reprogram any telephone system or service such as Call Forwarding that dials other phone numbers in the 973, 732 and 201 area codes to dial 10-digits by Dec. 1. (NOTE: A list of some equipment and services that may require reprogramming follows this release.)

For More Information

Verizon has conducted an extensive public education campaign to inform its customers about the dialing change and new area codes. This campaign includes letters to businesses, inserts in residential customers' phone bills, advertising, and outreach to senior citizens and other community members.

In addition area code information will appear in the customer guide pages of the Verizon SuperPages, the company's phone books, as they are updated.

Kaine offered the following tips:

• Get in the habit of dialing 10 digits for all local calls.
• Reprogram computers that are used for Internet access, fax machines, speed dialing and call forwarding services and other equipment that dials phone numbers before Dec. 1. Check with your security company and the supplier of your PBX business phone system to make sure your systems are programmed to handle the new area codes.
• Update phone lists, databases, Web pages, billing records and address books with the new area codes.
• Include the area code when giving out your phone number.

For more information on the area codes and dialing changes, visit Verizon's Web site at www.Verizon.com/areacodes. Customers with additional questions can also call Verizon's toll-free Area Code Information Line at 1-800-409-8773 Monday -- Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States, with 128.5 million access line equivalents and 28.7 million wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. A Fortune 10 company with 256,000 employees and approximately $65 billion in annual revenues, Verizon's global presence extends to more than 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

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ATTENTION 973, 732 and 201 AREA CODE CUSTOMERS:

Reprogram Now Using Ten Digits

Business and residential customers in the 973, 732 and 201 area codes should reprogram any communications equipment or service they use to dial using ten digits for every seven-digit number they dial today. This reprogramming must be completed by Dec. 1.

Some examples of equipment or Verizon services that may need to be reprogrammed include:

• Computers used for Internet access
• Modems
• Speed dialing lists
• Automatic dialers
• Cellular and mobile phones
• Security systems (ask your security company)
• PBX business phone systems (ask your PBX supplier)
• Pagers
• Fax machines
• Call Block
• Home Voice Mail or Answer Call/Voice Mail features
• Call Forwarding

In addition, customers should update phone lists, databases, Web pages, billing records and address books to include area codes. They should also include their area code when exchanging telephone numbers.

For more information on the area codes and dialing changes, visit Verizon's Web site at www.Verizon.com/areacodes. Customers with additional questions can also call Verizon's toll-free Area Code Information Line at 1-800-409-8773 Monday -- Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.