DES MOINES (AP) — Iowa residents in the 515 and 319 area codes will soon have to get used to dialing all 10 digits of a phone number when making calls.
The Federal Communications Commission is requiring Iowa callers to start dialing both the area code and phone number when making a call starting Oct. 24. But callers can begin using the new system on April 24.
The reason for the change is that officials are preparing to add a new three-digit number, 988, to reach the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. The Iowa area codes that include Des Moines, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and Waterloo have to make the change because some of their local phone numbers use 988 as the prefix for some seven-digit phone numbers.
The new 988 suicide prevention hotline is set to go live in July 2022.
The new phone dialing system will bring some hassles. Bret Moyer, general manager of Karl Chevrolet in Ankeny, said the change will force the dealership to update its database of customer phone numbers.