The District is running out of 202 numbers so a 771 area code will be added by 2022. News4’s Pat Collins reports.
When a 202 number flashes on your phone screen, you know you're getting a call from D.C.
But the famed area code that's covered the city for decades is running out of numbers.
Now, District residents know the area code for the next generation of phone numbers: 771.
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The North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) doled out the new area code and approved a plan for it to be phased in over 13 months, the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia (DCPSC) said this week.
Attached to your 202 number? Don't worry, it's not going away. The 202 area code will remain in use and no one will be forced to change their number. But eventually, new phone numbers will start with 771.
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The addition of a new area code means you'll have to change how you dial your neighbors.
Once the 771 area code is active, anyone making wireless or wired phone calls in the District will be required to dial the entire 10-digit phone number, complete with the correct area code.
The 771 area code will cover the entire District of Columbia. It will take about 13 months to roll out the new number once an implementation plan is approved, including six months of network preparation, six months of public education and a one-month period when it becomes mandatory to use all 10 digits to dial.
The 202 area code has been in use since 1947 and is expected to run out of new numbers during the third quarter of 2022.
