The central Ohio region is running out of phone numbers using the 614 area code. People who get a new phone number will soon have an all new area code to come with it. And other areas are preparing for a similar change.
The area code for any new phone numbers in the central Ohio area will be 380.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s Matt Schilling says the state went with what’s known as an overlay plan where the 380 area code will only be assigned to new numbers, but everyone will have to dial all 10-digits even for local calls. The other plan would’ve assigned a new area code to existing numbers.
“If we were to do a geographic split and people would get new phone numbers imagine a local business would need to update all their marketing information, all their contact information on the web and phonebooks and advertisements and so forth,” Schilling said.
The change goes into effect by the end of next January. Schilling said the 513 area code region, in southwest Ohio, is set to run out of numbers in 2019.