The Kentucky Public Service Commission has approved a new area code for western Kentucky. The new area code, 364, will be added to the current 270 footprint in early 2014. PSC Spokesman Andrew Melnykovich says with the overlay people who currently use 270 won’t have to change numbers, but there will be a different dialing pattern.
"In order to distinguish between the two area codes within the same area, ten-digit dialing with become mandatory for all local calls," he says. "That’s similar to what you see in most big cities in the United States today."
Ten digit dialing won't begin right away. Melnykovich says a transition period for the new dialing pattern will begin in mid-2013.
"There will be beginning in the middle of next year a six-month transition period called permissive dialing, during which seven digits or ten digits will be required for local calls, but beginning on Feb. 3 of 2014 the ten-digit dialing will become mandatory."
Melnykovich says the alternative to an overlay was to split the 270 region, which would have forced some customers to change their numbers. The 270 area code was created in 1999. The popularity of cell phones has led to the exhaustion of available numbers in the region.
