PSA : Upstate to get new area code (phone number, commission)

[USNRET04]

The Public Service Commission announced that the Upstate area is gaining a new area code of 821.

This number will overlay the entire Upstate area and will be assigned for new phone numbers going forward.

[USNRET04]

For fun:

An area code can theoretically have 7,920,000 phone numbers. This is because each area code has 792 prefixes, or "NXX" codes, and each NXX has 10,000 possible numbers. However, not all of these numbers are used because carriers need test numbers and other codes.

Heck, my family alone has seven 864 numbers assigned to it.

[Stromaluski]

I remember everybody changing from 803 to 864 when I was a kid.

[bikeoid]

Originally Posted by Stromaluski

I remember everybody changing from 803 to 864 when I was a kid.

Trivia: Caller ID continued to show 803 for several months after the switch. Finally I called Bell and asked when Caller ID would change. The next day it did change. Apparently not enough other people using caller ID cared about it until then.

[USNRET04]

Although most of us already do this due to our smart phones...PUC will require 10 digit calling for both area codes sometime later next year.