10-Digit Dialing Now Required in 574 Area Code
Staff Report
WARSAW – Beginning immediately, if you want to make a local call, you have to dial all ten digits if you’re in the 574 or 219 area codes.
The change in policy began Sunday, Oct. 24.
To complete local calls, the new dialing procedure requires callers to dial the area code and telephone number. This means that all local calls in the entire 574 area code that are currently dialed with 7 digits will need to be dialed using the area code and the telephone number.
The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission notified users in April about the switch, giving them six months to adjust to the new dialing pattern.
The IURC says calls that are local now will remain local, even though the area code is added.
Callers can still dial three digits for 911 (emergency services), 211 (social services), 411 (directory assistance), 711 (telecommunications relay service), and 811 (utility call before digging into the ground).
The change was necessary to accommodate the “988” National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, as designated by the Federal Communications Commission.