Greetings faculty and staff,
As I am sure you already have heard, the 518 area is adding a new area code, 838. I wanted to send a reminder that beginning Aug. 19, 2017, you must dial the area code when placing any call, even when placing calls to other 518 area code numbers. This will be the case for your work, home, and cellular lines.
Who is affected and why?
The 518 area code region is close to the maximum capacity for assigned phone numbers. Rather than trying to split the area into two distinct area codes, the area code 838 is being added as an overlay. Beginning Sept. 19, 2017, new telephone lines or services within the area potentially can be assigned the 838 area code, and both these area codes will be considered local.
All local calls will remain local for billing purposes. However, since there are now two local area codes, all calls will require the use of the area code and the 7-digit phone number or calls won’t be completed.
On-campus Dialing
Beginning Aug. 19, 2017, all outgoing calls from campus phones to the 518 area code will require individuals to dial (9) followed by the 518 area code and the 7-digit phone number. If you have preset, Speed Dial numbers programmed into your college phone, these will need to be updated to reflect the required 10 digit calling number. Directions can be found on the ITS documentation Web page or you can contact the ITS help desk at ext. 7364 for assistance.
Thanks, and best regards,
Jonathan Brennan
Chief Information Officer
518-629-7254
Published: Wed, 16 Aug 2017 20:01:17 +0000 by j.brennan