10-digit dialing requirement for every local call starts Sunday for telephone users in 616, 810, 906 and 989 area codes (2024)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 21, 2021

Media Contact: Matt Helms 517-284-8300
Customer Assistance: 800-292-9555

Michigan.gov/MPSC
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The switch to 10-digit dialing is just three days away. Starting this Sunday, Oct. 24, telephone customers in Michigan's 616, 810, 906 and 989 area codes will have to include an area code with every local call - known as 10-digit dialing.

Phone customers, including landline and mobile phones, with numbers in the affected Michigan area codes above must dial 10 digits for all local calls. Calls that don't include an area code will not be completed. Instead, a recording may inform you that your call cannot be completed as dialed. If you receive this recording, you must hang up and dial again using the area code with the 7-digit telephone number. That day also marks the end of the permissive dialing period that began in April, during which calls dialed with either 7 digits or 10 digits would still be completed.

In many area codes across the country, including in Michigan, 988 is already used as the prefix, or first three digits after the area code of a customer's telephone number. In order for 988 to dial directly to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, any area code that includes the 988 prefix must transition from 7-digit dialing (dialing without the area code) to 10-digit dialing (area code with the telephone number). In Michigan, that means every customer in the 616, 810, 906, and 989 area codes must make the transition. Customers in other Michigan area codes aren't affected by these changes.

Important safety and security equipment, such as medical alert devices and alarm and security systems must be programmed to use 10-digit dialing by Oct. 24. Many systems operate on 10-digit dialing by default, but some older equipment may still use 7 digits. Contact your medical alert or security provider if you are not sure whether your equipment needs to be reprogrammed to accommodate the upcoming change to 10-digit local dialing.

Other examples of services that may need to be re-programmed are:

  • life safety systems or medical monitoring devices
  • PBX business telephone systems
  • fax machines
  • internet dial-up numbers
  • fire or burglar alarm and security systems or gates
  • speed dialers
  • mobile or other wireless phone contact lists
  • call forwarding settings, and
  • voicemail services and other similar functions.

Be sure to check your website, personal and business stationery, advertising materials, personal and business checks, contact information, personal or pet ID tags and other such items to ensure the area code is included.

The requirement to include an area code is in preparation for the rollout of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in 2022. The Federal Communications Commission in July 2020 designated 988 as the abbreviated dialing code to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline that provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources, and best practices for professionals. The FCC's order requires all telecommunications carriers, interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, and one-way VoIP providers (covered providers) to make any network changes necessary to ensure that users can dial 988 to reach the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by July 16, 2022. Until then, customers should continue to dial 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) to contact the Lifeline.

What will not change?

  • Your telephone number, including current area code, will not change.
  • The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change.
  • A local call now will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed.
  • You will continue to dial 1 plus the area code and the telephone number for all long-distance calls.
  • You will continue to dial a prefix such as 9 when dialing from a multi-line telephone system (in a hotel or office building, for example) as required.
  • You can still dial just three digits to reach 711 for relay services and 911 for emergency services.
  • If 211, 311, 411, 511, 611 or 811 are currently available in your community, you may still dial these codes with just three digits.
  • The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can still be reached by dialing 1-800-273-TALK (8255) even after the 988 code is in effect.

You may visit the website of the North American Numbering Plan Administrator or email NANPA at 988@nanpa.com with questions about the dialing procedure change. Or you may visit the FCC's website. You may also contact your local provider with questions.

For more information, read the MPSC's Consumer Tip on 988 and 10-digit dialing.

For information about the MPSC, visit www.michigan.gov/mpsc, sign up for its monthly newsletter or other listservs, or follow the Commission on Twitter or LinkedIn.

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10-digit dialing requirement for every local call starts Sunday for telephone users in 616, 810, 906 and 989 area codes (2024)

FAQs

10-digit dialing requirement for every local call starts Sunday for telephone users in 616, 810, 906 and 989 area codes? ›

Callers in Michigan's 616, 810, 906 and 989 area codes should start dialing with 10 digits (area code plus telephone number) on April 24, 2021, the start date for what's called a permissive dialing period designed to get customers used to the new requirement of including an area code when dialing, even for local calls.

What is a 10-digit dialing requirement? ›

A 10-digit dialed telephone call requires entering both the three-digit area code and the seven-digit telephone number to complete the call, even if the area code is the same area code as your own.

When did you have to start dialing 10 digits? ›

Ten Digit Dial. Beginning October 24, 2021, you will be required to use 10 digits when placing calls from your wireless or landline phone. This includes calls within your area code that you may currently only dial with seven digits.

Do you need to dial area code for local calls? ›

Beginning October 27, 2021, you must dial 10-digits (area code + telephone number) for all local calls.

What is your 10-digit phone number? ›

Ten-digit dialing is a telephone dialing procedure in the countries and territories that are members of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). It is the practice of including the area code of a telephone number when dialing to initiate a telephone call.

What states will require 10-digit dialing? ›

The US states affected by the mandatory 10-digit dialing include: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New ...

Are all US phone numbers 10 digits? ›

FAQ: Evolution of US Phone Numbers

Initially, they were alphanumeric, with the introduction of the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) in the 1940s, they transitioned to a standardized ten-digit format. This format includes a three-digit area code, a three-digit prefix, and a four-digit line number.

Why are all phone numbers 10 digits? ›

In truth, the need for 10-digit phone numbers started to become apparent long before 2001. There are only so many number combinations available per 3-digit area code, and as the pool of available numbers began to dwindle in the early 1990s, more and more areas were forced to introduce different formats.

When did 10-digit dialing start in Texas? ›

Beginning April 24, 2021, you should begin dialing 10 digits (area code + telephone number) for all local calls. If you forget and dial just 7 digits, your call will still be completed. Beginning October 24, 2021, you must dial 10-digits (area code + telephone number) for all local calls.

How to dial a local number? ›

For local landline numbers, use the format XXX-XXXX, with XXX as the area code and XXXX as the subscriber number. For example, a local landline number in Manila would be 02-1234567.

What is classed as a local call? ›

Any call for which an additional charge, i.e., toll charge, is not billed to the calling or called party, or (depending on the country) for which this charge is reduced because it is a short-distance call (e.g. within a town or local metropolitan area).

What are the current rules for telephone area codes? ›

Current rules for telephone area codes allow the use of digits 2-9 for the first digit, and 0-9 for the second and third digits, but the last two digits cannot both be 1 (to avoid confusion with area codes such as 911).

What is local area code? ›

The area code for a particular city or region is the series of numbers that you have to dial before someone's personal number if you are making a phone call to that place from a different area.

What is an example of a 10 digit number? ›

What are 10 Digit Numbers? 10-digit numbers are those numbers that start from 1000000000 and end on 9999999999. For example, 5,901,235,682 and 3,502,586,760 are 10-digit numbers.

Do you have to dial 1 before an 800 number? ›

How to call toll-free numbers? You can call on a toll-free number exactly the same way you would call any other number. You just need to ensure that you dial “1” before the toll-free code or prefix (800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, and 833). These codes cannot be interchanged among each other.

Why are there 10 digit numbers on a phone number? ›

It is always assumed that each and every citizen will possess a mobile phone. Therefore, India settled for 10 digit numbers under the Government's National Numbering Plan(nnp) . By keeping 10 digit numbers, we get a combination of 1,000 crore numbers.

Why are some phone numbers only 10 digits? ›

Instead of splitting the existing area code into more regions, overlay area codes increase the amount of phone numbers available to the same geographic as the original. The introduction of overlay required people to start using 10-digit dialing even for local calls.

Are all phone numbers 10 digits international? ›

A phone number may have up to 15 digits, including the area and country code, per the international standard. Most cell phone numbers are 10-digits long, omitting the country code.

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