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New 448 Area Code, Mandatory 10-Digit Dialing Now In Effect
May 21, 2021
A second area code has been activated in Northwest Florida, and mandatory change in how you dial your phone is now in effect.
Mandatory 10-digit dialing will be effective for all calls, including local calls, for existing and new phone numbers in the 850 and the new 448 area codes. This includes landlines, cellphones and other devices.
“With Florida’s 850 area code running out of phone numbers, the 448 overlay plan and 10-digit dialing is necessary,” said PSC Chairman Gary Clark. “The good news is that Florida’s growing population and economy are driving this change. With today’s digital applications, programming 10-digit dialing into our contacts and devices is relatively easy.”
The PSC actually delayed mandatory 10-digit dialing implementation for three months—originally scheduled to begin in February—so that business customers in the overlay region had ample time to reprogram alarm systems and elevator operations.
Here are some other quick facts about the new 448 area code:
- Your current telephone number, including current 850 area code, will not change.
- You will need to dial area code + telephone number for all local calls.
- What is a local call now will remain a local call.
- The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change due to the overlay.
- You can still dial just three digits to reach 911. You can also dial three digits to reach 211 and 811, as well as 311 and 511, where available.
- Telephone customers should remember to include their area code (3-digit area code + 7-digit telephone number) when giving their number to friends, family, business associates, and customers.
- Customers should ensure that all services, automatic dialing equipment, or other types of equipment recognize the new 448 area code as a valid area code, and should continue to program 10-digit telephone numbers.
The 850/448 area code region consists of 18 counties in the Florida Panhandle, including the cities of Pensacola, Panama City, and Tallahassee.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
21 Responses to “New 448 Area Code, Mandatory 10-Digit Dialing Now In Effect”
Can’t use my land line phone
Anyone needs to reach me dial KlondikeBR549
Hey, why don’t we go back to GLendale and HEmlock?
my home phone will not work with with any of two area codes all i get is a busy signal
Confused on May 21st, 2021 I’m very confused. Do we still use 850 area code or do we start using the 448 area code? This is very clear..
Your current telephone number, including current 850 area code, will not change.
You will need to dial area code + telephone number for all local calls.
What is a local call now will remain a local call.
No big deal, most of us have been using 10 digit dailing for years.
I already have my programmed numbers with the area codes.
I’m just wondering how long it will be before I see 448 on someone’s neck
WOW, I never read so much complaining and finger pointing. The reality of it is most of us have contributed to this problem. There was a time when a family had one phone number. There may have been multiple phones, but the household usually had just one number. I know, there was the option of adding a line but that was rarely the case. Compare that to today. In most cases all members of the house have their own phone and number. So, a family of four has a minimum of four phone numbers.
There was a time when I had three numbers assigned to my name, my personal phone, my office desk phone, and my work cell phone.
Adding the extra number to complete a call requires no extra effort on anyone once the number has been entered. A good example is when I call my twin brother who lives out of town. All I do is touch the microphone and say, “call Mudball”, and wham the lady says,” calling Mudball’.
So, all the complaining is not going to do anything help the problem. It is what it is and we are going to have to live with it, or drop your cell phones to one per family, or house hold. Maybe they could have multiple phones use the same number. Now I would be good with that. Yep every time that jackleg calls your daughter your phones rings.
Wow, another wrench in the monkey works for dumb people with smart phones, what’s even more screwed up, there’s another 10 seconds for drivers to take their eyes off the road while dialing, that’s if they’re not already texting
>Thanks to the telemarketers….. They bought up all the 850 #’s
Not really. Those use car warranty scum types are spoofing their numbers…the are not calling from that 850 number you see on your caller ID. They may be calling from Russia, or India, or Minnesota.
Legit telemarketers and legit outbound call centers may have an IP or other phone systems that uses just one legit 850 number for hundreds or thousands of outbound calls.
All the cell phones, alarm systems, other devices, contributed to the depletion of numbers.
Thanks to the telemarketers….. They bought up all the 850 #’s
As I understand it, for everyone who already has a phone with the 850 area code nothing changes. For NEW numbers it will be 448. We already have area codes on the numbers in cell phones. The only ones affected are Lands Line phones and they will only have to add 850 or 448 to the number they are calling.
It’s a slight inconvenience but come on folks it’s not complicated to understand. The instructions are easy. It’s not rocket science. It’s called population growth. I hate change so much we need to remove all the cell phone towers and go back to only land lines or Telegraph. Use to be able to pick up a land line and start dialing. These new fangled cellular phones make you swipe and push buttons, enter codes or use facial recognition. God forbid we adapt. Hope y’all can sense the sarcasm. Sometimes it seems in the comments everyone is trying to one up the next with criticism of something or someone.
I’m very confused. Do we still use 850 area code or do we start using the 448 area code? This is very clear..
Back in whatever year I was OK with changing our area code because the larger end of 904 Jacksonville had a larger population. But this overlay idea is stupid. I would be in favor of dividing 850 again and let he smaller population area of that divide use 448. This is going to make everybody unhappy, not just some.
@ BRING IT ON. I totally agree. How many area codes will the PNS area have had since 1947? It is getting exhausting.
Ok, so do we have to dial a one and then the area code plus the number like we do when calling long distance?
NOT HAPPY! think i will just call the operator and let her figure out how to call for me.
I’m not clear on this. Does this mean that if we already have 850 #s, our area code remains 850? That’s what I’m getting from the first bullet point above?
“THIS IS THE OPERATOR – PLEASE ENTER YOUR 60 DIGIT PHONE NUMBER FOLLOWED BY THE #####***** KEYS NOW – THE NUMBER YOU ENTERED IS INCORRECT, PLEASE TRY AGAIN”
This is the stupidest thing I’ve heard of. Why is it the panhandle always has to make area code changes. It was changed from 904 to 850 to accommodate Jacksonville. I’ve got better things to do than change the 1000 contacts I have. The PSC is totally pathetic.