Residential Ontario & Trumansburg Telephone Company Customers Prepare for 315 Area Code Overlay in the West-Central Portion of New York
(PRWEB) February 13, 2017 -- Residential and business customers within the existing 315 area code should be prepared for the introduction of the new 680 area code. Finger Lakes Technologies Group, Inc. and Ontario Telephone Company announced today that beginning March 11, 2017, customers in the 315 area code region requesting new service, an additional line, or in some cases moving their service, may be assigned a number in the new 680 area code.
To ensure a continuing supply of telephone numbers, the New York Public Service Commission ordered an area code overlay for the area served by 315. The new 680 area code will be “overlaid” or superimposed over the same geographical area as the 315 area code, which covers the west-central portion of New York, serving communities such as Syracuse, Utica, and Watertown.
Since March 12, 2016, customers have been able to place calls within the 315 area code region by dialing the customary 7 digits or by dialing 10 digits (area code + 7 digits). However, on February 11, 2017, the option to place calls within the 315 using 7 digits will end, and all calls made within and between area codes 315 and 680 must be placed using the 10-digit telephone number. If customers forget and dial just 7 digits, then the call will not be completed and the customers will hear an announcement instructing them to hang up and redial using the area code. On March 11, 2017, the new 680 area code becomes effective, and customers receiving numbers from the 680 area code must dial the area code on every call placed as well.
The most important facts that consumers and businesses need to know about the upcoming 680 area code overlay are:
- Your telephone number, including current area code, will not change.
- You will need to dial area code + telephone number for all calls within and between the 315 and 680 area codes (315 or 680 plus the 7-digit telephone number.)
- You will continue to dial 1+ area code + telephone number for all calls to other area codes (outside of 315 and 680).
- What is now a local call will remain a local call.
- The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change due to the overlay.
- You can still dial just three digits to reach 911.
- If 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711 or 811 are currently available in your community, you will still dial these codes with just three digits.
Customers are reminded to identify their telephone number as a ten digit number (area code + 7-digit telephone number), and include the area code when giving the number to their friends, family, business associates and business customers, etc.
Customers should ensure that all services, automatic dialing equipment, applications, software, or other types of equipment recognize the new 680 area code as a valid area code. Some examples are: stored telephone numbers in contact lists in wireless phones, PBXs, fax machines, internet dial-up numbers, speed dialers, call forwarding settings, voicemail services, etc. Medical alert devices, safety alarm security systems and gates, ankle monitors or other similar equipment must be programmed to use 10-digit dialing. Many systems operate on 10-digit dialing by default, but some older equipment may still use 7-digits. Please contact your medical alert or security provider if you don’t know whether your equipment needs to be reprogramed to accommodate the upcoming change to 10-digit dialing. You may also want to check your website, business stationery and advertising materials, printed checks, contact information, and your personal or pet ID tags to ensure the area code is included. Remember that all calls made within and between area codes 315 and 680 must be programmed using 10-digits, and a “1” must be added before the area code for all calls being placed to other area codes outside of 315 and 680.
For more information, please visit the following websites: Finger Lakes Technologies Group, Inc. and Ontario Telephone Company or the New York Public Service Commission’s website at http://www.dps.ny.gov/. Customers with any questions regarding information provided in this release may call Finger Lakes Technologies Group, Inc. and Ontario Telephone Company at the customer service number on their bill.
About Finger Lakes Technologies Group
Finger Lakes Technologies Group Inc. (fltg.com) is continuously expanding its privately owned 2,500-mile, fiber-optic network to serve the Upstate New York region. FLTG provides state-of-the-art voice, data and Internet solutions to business customers across New York State and Pennsylvania. The company is certified in all Cisco solutions. A subsidiary of Ontario and Trumansburg Telephone Companies, FLTG brings to its customers a more-than-100-year history in telecommunications. Headquartered in Victor, FLTG and its parent companies employ 140 people combined and have offices in Buffalo, Binghamton, Phelps, Romulus and Trumansburg.
Ashley Griswold, Finger Lakes Technologies Group, Inc., +1 5854336633, [email protected]
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