The Power of ten

The CRTC has announced that as of September of 2008, all residents in British Columbia will be required to dial ten digits to make a telephone call, making the province the first in Canada to require all residents to dial ten digits instead of seven to make a local call.

The process has been in effect in the 604 area code for a few years now as the explosion of telephone, fax and computer requirements gobbles up all the available seven number combinations.

A warm-up phase begins next June, when people dialing seven digits will hear a recorded message reminding them to enter the area code before they place a call. The message will run for 2 1/2 months and then dialers are on their own.

The Vancouver Sun had further details on the planned switch.

Hello operator? 10-digit dialling on its way for all B.C.
By Matthew Kruchak
CanWest News Service
Thursday, June 07, 2007

British Columbia will become the first province requiring all residents to dial 10 digits instead of seven when making local calls.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission announced today the change will take place in September 2008.

Lower Mainland residents began dialing 10 digits in 2001, when the 778 area code was introduced after 604 began running out of numbers. Now, the rest of the province will follow suit.

"The 250 area code is running out of numbers and something needed to be done," said Telus official Shawn Hall.

The options were to split the 250 area code in half and assign consumers a new one or have them dial 10 digits to place a call.

The decision to go to 10-digit dialing was the easiest option, Hall said, because the only impact to callers is the extra time it takes to hit three digits.

The 778 area code used on the mainland will now apply to the entire province. Consumers in the 250 region will only be assigned the 778 area code if they apply for a new number.

Long-distance boundaries won't be affected by the change.

A warm-up phase begins next June, when people dialing seven digits will hear a recorded message reminding them to enter the area code before they place a call. The message will run for 2 1/2 months and then dialers are on their own.

Numbers are being used up faster because of the popularity of new technologies like cellphones and personal digital assistants, Hall said.

"People now have, three, four and five numbers."

The famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright once said that if technology continues in the direction it's headed, "man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger."

If this is correct, at least British Columbians will be in excellent shape.CanWest News Service