Please Hang Up and Dial 562--This Is a Recording
The honeymoon is over.
A six-month “get acquainted” period for the new 562 area code ended Friday.
Starting today, callers dialing into North Orange County cities affected by the change will be connected only if they use the new 562 code.
Chris Kniestedt, spokesman for the California-Nevada Code Administration--an industry group that administers area code distribution, said those who dial the old 310 area code will get a recorded message instructing them to hang up and redial the correct code. The recorded reminder message will be in effect for three months, he said.
Orange County cities affected by the change are Los Alamitos, La Habra and parts of Brea and La Palma.
The 562 area code, which took effect in January, was created when the 310 area code was split. A grace period to use either of the area codes allowed customers and their callers to adapt to the change.
Last year, the state Public Utility Commission approved the new area code, citing the growing demand for phone numbers for fax machines, cellular phones, pagers and home computers.
The 562 area code is expected to accommodate the needs of the community through early 2006.
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