Telephone customers in the 317 area code will have to dial 10 numbers when making calls next year, when the 463 code is applied to the existing 317 district. The 463 code is being added to ensure an adequate supply of phone numbers, the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor said in a news release.
Current 317 area code numbers will not be changed. New phones or services may receive the 463 area code after Oct. 17, 2016.
While the change is nearly a year away, state officials are acting now to make consumers aware of the change.
Devices that use automatic dialing will have to be programmed with the new 10-digit sequence, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission said.
Those include life-safety systems, fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, alarm and security systems, gates, speed dialers, mobile phone contact lists, call forwarding settings and voice mail services.
It will also be necessary to add the new area code to new items such as business and personal stationery, advertising materials, personal checks, and personal and pet ID tags.
Between March 19 and Sept. 16 next year, local calls in the 317 area may be made using either seven or 10 numbers. The 10-number sequence will be required starting Sept. 17.