Attention: Alarm and Security Service/Equipment Providers

To ensure a continuing supply of telephone numbers throughout West Virginia, the 681 area code will be added to the area served by 304. The new 681 area code will serve customers in the same geographic region as the current 304 area code, in this case, entire state of West Virginia. This is known as an area code overlay.

What is an area code overlay?

An overlay is the addition of another area code (681) to the same geographic region as an existing area code (304). An overlay does not require customers to change their existing area code.

How does this affect providers of alarm and security services and equipment?

As a result of the overlay, a new dialing procedure requires callers to dial the area code + telephone number for all local calls. This means that all local calls from the 304 area code that are currently dialed with seven digits will need to be dialed with ten digits (the area code + telephone number).

Alarm and security services and equipment currently located in the 304 area code and programmed to dial only seven digits must be updated or reprogrammed to dial ten digits for all local calls from the 304/681 area code.

When will the change take place?

• Effective July 26, 2008, customers should begin using the new dialing procedure (area code + telephone number) when placing local calls from the 304 area code. If customers forget and use the old dialing procedure of dialing just seven digits, calls will still be completed.
• Beginning February 28, 2009, customers must use the new dialing procedure for all local calls. After this date, if customers do not use the new local dialing procedure, the call will not be completed, and a recording will instruct them to hang up and dial again.
• Reprogramming of alarm equipment should take place between July 26, 2008 and February 28, 2009. This period allows either the old or new dialing procedure to be used to complete calls. All alarm service providers must make their programming changes during this period.
• To enable you to verify that equipment can complete calls to the new area code, a special test number will become available on December 28, 2008. This test number, (681) 990-8378, will remain active through June 28, 2009.
• Starting March 28, 2009, new telephone lines or services may be assigned numbers with the new 681 area code, and it will be necessary to dial ten digits for all local calls from the 304 and 681 area codes.

What will remain the same?

The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change due to the overlay, and what is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed. Customers can still dial just three digits to reach 911. If 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711, and 811are currently available in a community, they can still be dialed as three digits.

Questions about the dialing procedure change should be directed to your local service provider.

Sincerely, The WV 304/681 NPA Overlay Industry Implementation Committee in cooperation with the West Virginia Public Service Commission