Get Ready Wichita Falls, You Will Have to Start Using the 940 Area Code for Local Calls

Looks like our good old friends at the FCC are the ones to complain to about this. I'll be honest, it's for a good reason that they're doing this.On July 16, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued an Order (FCC 20-100) approving 988 as the three-digit abbreviated dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Several Texas area codes (254, 361, 409, 806, 830, 915 and 940) will be affected by this.

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April 24, 2021 marks the beginning of a “permissive dialing period” in which callers in those area codes can still complete a call with seven-digit dialing. When that period expires on October 24, 2021, only calls dialed with ten digits will be connected. Now phone numbers are apparently not the only thing affected by this.

Let's say you know someone who has a medical device that calls for help. That device maybe calling to a seven digit number. Please check to ensure this is updated. Another thing you may need to update is your security system. Maybe that dials out to someone in the event of an emergency, but it dials to seven digits. This will also need to be updated. Once again, you should check on that before October 24, 2021.

If you want some more info, you can check it out here. I have to be honest, growing up in Maryland in the late 90s we had to start doing this for all of our calls. It was a little weird at first, but you get used to it.