MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Southern California is adopting a new area code to accommodate the increasing number of people living in the area.
All new commercial telephone numbers in the region will be assigned to the 442 prefix starting Nov. 21, to be used along with the current 760 area code. AT&T Inc. is responsible for implementing this change and may also transition some of the older numbers assigned the 760 area code to 442.
All official telephone numbers assigned to Camp Pendleton for government use will remain within the 760 area code. The transition will affect all North County communities surrounding the base including Fallbrook, Oceanside, Escondido and Carlsbad.
Beginning May 2, customers dialing off base should start dialing the 1+10-digit number to become accustomed with the new dialing procedure. The 1+10-digit dialing procedure will not be mandatory until Oct. 24.
The practice for making official calls placed aboard Camp Pendleton, from office to office, having the 725, 763, or 719* prefix will also remain unaffected. Any commercial calls made to businesses or government facilities located aboard Camp Pendleton, will require the 1+ 10-digit dialing procedure.
*Starting July 1, Camp Pendleton will add a 719 prefix to be used in addition to the 725 and the 763 prefixes.
Defense System Network services and numbers will not be affected by the area code change.
Residents affected by the area code change are reminded to change emergency and contact numbers accordingly however, you can still just dial three digits to reach 911, as well as 411. Long distance charges will not apply to calls made from 760 to 442 area codes and vice versa.
Available telephone numbers within 760 assigned regions were predicted to diminish within two years if the area code transition did not take place, according to a report submitted by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator in 2007.
San Diego County had originally planned to split the entire county from the 760 region, but after business owners and government officials expressed concern, this plan was dropped.
The new area code will be implemented in an overlay fashion addressing this concern. The overlay will add the 442 area code to the already assigned 760 region.
The 760 area code is geographically the largest are code region, encompassing 46,666 square miles or roughly one third of the state, according to the California Public Utilities Commission.
For additional information, call Communication Information Systems at (760) 725-8247 or visit www.cpuc.ca.gov/760areacode.