|
|
| Bell Atlantic Launches Campaign to Get Callers Ready For New Area Code in Central, Northeastern Pennsylvania |
New 570 Area Code Coming April 1999;
Customers Should Start Dialing New Code Dec. 5
HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Bell Atlantic (NYSE: BEL) is
launching a campaign to inform central and northeastern Pennsylvanians about
the introduction of a new area code that customers should begin to use this
month.
Beginning Dec. 5, customers from eastern Tioga to Pike counties and from
the New York border to portions of Schuylkill County will have a new area
code, 570. The new 570 code will be carved out of the existing 717 area code
to serve the north-central and northeastern parts of the state.
Customers in Harrisburg, Lancaster, York and surrounding areas will
continue to have the 717 area code. (NOTE TO EDITORS: Lists of telephone
exchanges -- the first three digits of a seven-digit phone number -- that will
stay in the 717 area code and those that will be switched to the new 570 area
code follow this release.)
"Callers should dial the new 570 area code to reach numbers that will get
the new code starting Dec. 5," said Sandra Scott, Bell Atlantic - Pennsylvania
manager - area code customer education. "Callers in the current 717 area code
should dial '1' plus the new 570 area code and the seven-digit telephone
number to reach a number in the new 570 area code -- Wilkes-Barre, for
example. However, their calls will still go through for the next four months
if they dial only the seven-digit number."
Similarly, customers in the region where the new 570 area code is being
implemented should dial "1" plus the 717 area code to reach numbers remaining
in that code -- Harrisburg, for example.
"Starting April 8, 1999, callers in the 717 area code won't be able to
reach a number in the new 570 area code by dialing the seven-digit number, and
callers in the 570 area code won't be able reach a number in the 717 area code
by dialing seven digits. Such callers instead will hear a recorded message
instructing them to first dial '1' plus the area code," said Scott.
The demand for new telephone numbers is exploding as people are using more
additional phone lines, cellular phones, pagers, computer modems and fax
machines. In addition, Pennsylvanians increasingly have a choice of which
company provides their local phone service, and these competing companies
require phone numbers for their customers.
This heavy demand for phone numbers is driving the need for new area codes
in Pennsylvania and across the country. In fact, the new 267 and 484 area
codes will be introduced in the 215 and 610 area codes in southeastern
Pennsylvania, and the 724 area code was created in the western part of the
state by splitting the 412 area code into two parts earlier this year.
What's Not Changing
The area code change will not affect the price of phone service, and a
customer's local calling area will remain the same, even if it includes both
area codes. As in the past, callers in the 570 and 717 area codes will dial
seven only digits to reach another number in the same area code, and "1" plus
the area code and seven-digit phone number for calls outside their area code.
What Is Changing
Starting Dec. 5, customers should prepare for the area code change by
taking the following steps:
-- Reprogram telecommunications services and equipment to include the new
area code. This includes computer modems; Bell Atlantic optional
services, including Call Forwarding (including Ultra Forward(R) and
Select Forward), Call Block, Priority Call, Bell Atlantic(R) Easy
Voice, Call Gate, Special Delivery(R) service on Home Voice Mail
Service and pager notification on features such as Home Voice Mail
Service, as well as speed dialing lists -- particularly those on office
phones, cellular phones and fax machines.
-- Notify people who call you regularly. Tell friends, relatives,
customers, employees, local affiliates, business associates, suppliers
and others.
-- Make certain the new area codes appear in your company's ads and
promotional materials. These include print ads, radio and TV spots,
Bell Atlantic Yellow Pages advertising, classified ads, signs, Internet
sites, recorded messages, cars and trucks, billboards or anything else
that shows your new area code and telephone number.
-- Put the new area code on printed materials, such as stationery,
business cards, invoices, purchase orders, brochures, catalogs, product
packaging, internal records, checks, company directories and labels.
-- Check with your suppliers to make sure telecommunications equipment can
accept the new 570 area code. Security and PBX phone systems also may
need to be reprogrammed.
These changes will ensure that calls go through starting April 8 when
callers must use the new area code.
To prepare for the change, Bell Atlantic will reprogram or modify the
following services to reflect the new 570 area code: Centrex and Centrex
Extend services, Foreign Exchange Service, Remote Call Forwarding, Call
Restriction, directory listings and numbers blocked at the customer's request.
For customers who want an easy way to dial frequently called numbers, Bell
Atlantic currently has a special offer on its Speed Dialing 8 service. With
Speed Dialing 8, customers can program eight commonly called numbers and then
dial them by pushing one button. Customers who order Speed Dialing 8 before
June 1999 will receive the service free for three months. Speed Dialing 8 is
$1.50 a month per line for residential customers and $5 monthly per line for
businesses. Interested customers should call 877-246-3095 (toll-free) to
order.
Customer Education Campaign Begins
Bell Atlantic kicked off its customer education campaign with a newsletter
that describes the new area code, lists the telephone number prefixes that
will have the new code, and answers commonly asked questions about the new
area code. Called Extra!, the newsletter was included in customers' November
phone bills. Customers can check the list to see if their telephone number
will have the new 570 area code.
The company also plans to distribute information on the new area code at
upcoming community events throughout the region.
"We want customers to adapt to this new area code as comfortably as
possible, and we will do all we can to help minimize any confusion and
concerns," said Scott.
Pennsylvanians can get more information on the new 570 area code by
calling Bell Atlantic's toll-free Area Code Information Line (800-500-2167).
Another hotline (800-717TOLL or 800-717-8655) will help callers determine in
advance if the number they want to dial is a toll call. Customers also can
visit the company's special area code pages on the World Wide Web
( http://www.bellatlantic.com/areacode ).
Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and
information industry. With 42 million telephone access lines and eight
million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies are premier
providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market leaders in
wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory information.
Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest investors in high-
growth global communications markets, with operations and investments in
23 countries.
INTERNET USERS: Bell Atlantic news releases, executive speeches, news
media contacts and other useful information are available at Bell Atlantic's
News Center on the World Wide Web ( http://www.ba.com ). To receive news
releases by email, visit the News Center and register for personalized
automatic delivery of Bell Atlantic news releases.
SOURCE Bell Atlantic
back to topRelated links:
Company News On-Call:
800-758-5804, ext. 094251
CONTACT:
Adam Theodore, 215-963-6102 or
adam.theodore@bellatlantic.com, or Harry Mitchell, 304-344-7562
or harry.j.mitchell@bellatlantic.com, both of Bell Atlantic
