10-digit dialing to start Sunday, Oct. 24

Beginning early Monday morning, Oct. 25, PC Telcom will be activating the 10-digit dialing requirement that’s starting in 37 states.

Officially designated for Sunday, Oct. 24, the 10-digit dialing will require the use of the 970 area code for making local calls in Holyoke.

PC Telcom Plant Operations Manager Jamie Smith noted that calls to Haxtun and Sterling will still be local but will require including 970 in the dialing.

For long-distance calls from landlines, the number 1 will need to be dialed prior to the 10-digit number, as has been the practice in the past. Dialing the number 1 will not be necessary for local calls.

Smith emphasized that consumers should also note that they will need to reprogram their seven-digit local numbers to 10-digit numbers on any devices that automatically make calls for them. This includes the speed dial feature on phones.

Local phone numbers evolve from 2 to 10 digits

Researching the history of phone numbers in the Phillips County Telephone Company for 115 years leads to some interesting evolution.

It started with a local phone number like 15 in 1906. And it has evolved to a local number like 970-854-2811 today.

15

Stepping back in history, the Phillips County Telephone Company was incorporated by the Holyoke Telephone Company in May of 1906.

Two-digit phone numbers, connected with the assistance of operators, were used until May of 1956.

UL 4-3300  •  ULysses 4-2747

It was a huge shake-up and a big step in progress on May 20, 1956, when a dial office replaced the old operator magneto switchboard in Holyoke.

Phillips County Telephone Company ran a big “Important Announcement” ad in The Holyoke Enterprise, directing phone subscribers to discard old phone directories and use the new ones.

It was at that time that Holyoke phone numbers converted to what was known at the 2L-5N system. This represented two letters and five numbers. The two letters represented the closest phone exchange, and the five numbers were the assigned phone number.

Holyoke numbers utilized UL for Ulysses. A local number now looked like UL 4-2811.

The May 24, 1956, edition of The Holyoke Enterprise featured pages and pages of ads from local businesses as they congratulated the telephone company.

The Holyoke Chamber of Commerce ad read, “Congratulations and Best Wishes. The new telephone system reflects the progressive spirit of the people of this community, and the dial phones will play a major part in the future development of Holyoke and the surrounding trade area.

“The dial proposal has been supported by the businessmen of Holyoke since the beginning and the successful completion of the project is heartily welcomed by the Holyoke Chamber of Commerce.

“Special thanks and congratulations are extended to board of directors of the Phillips County Telephone Company for their untiring efforts in making the new dial system a reality.”

In his 1990 manager’s retirement article, Daryl Kropp told The Holyoke Enterprise that he still remembered the controversy that surrounded that 1956 progressive step in local telephone service.

He said that one objection was the unemployment which resulted since the operators were no longer needed.

Another major bone of contention was that people didn’t like to lose contact with the operator. She was the information center at that time. She gave information, took emergency calls, blew the fire whistle from the telephone company and turned on the red light on the town hall, which signaled that the police were needed.

Enterprise editor Ted Clark was notorious for his front-page column “Clark’s Corner” in the 1950s and ’60s.

One snippet from his May 31, 1956, column addressed the new dial system.

“One thing we must all learn about the new dial telephones is that we need to speak more quietly than we did on the old ones,” wrote Clark.

“If we speak right out like we used to, the party on the other end has to hold the instrument away from his ear. But isn’t it great to be free of that buzzing and static on those country lines! The new system means a lot to Holyoke and the entire community,” Clark added.

854-3434  •  4-3434

The introduction of an all-number phone number started in the 1960s and could be seen in Holyoke newspaper ads in late 1962 and early 1963.

Instead of UL 4-3434, the number became 854-3434. For local calls, subscribers used only 4-3434.

Starting in July of 1979, however, local numbers had to be dialed with the full seven-digit number, which included the three-digit 854 prefix.

439-3333 (Amherst)

Phillips County Telephone Company minutes from 1947 show that the Amherst community met with the board and requested lines into the Holyoke system.

When the three-digit 854-prefix was initiated in Holyoke, the Amherst customers used a 439 prefix. Amherst phone numbers converted from 439 to the 854 prefix on Oct. 17, 1988.

Changing the Amherst prefix to 854 like the rest of the subscribers in the company made the 439 prefix available elsewhere in the state.

Prior to April 12, 1991, calls made to Haxtun from Holyoke were long-distance. That changed 20 and a half years ago.

Following suit four and a half years later, Sterling calls, including Fleming lines, were made local calls instead of long-distance from Holyoke starting Oct. 5, 1995.

Area codes go through changes

303-854-2578

Area codes were established in the 1950s, and all Colorado phone numbers utilized the area code 303.

On March 3, 1988, the 719 area code was put into service in parts of Colorado, splitting the 303 area code service area.

970-854-2811

While this didn’t directly affect local phone numbers at the time, it planted the seed. When the 303 area code split again on April 2, 1995, residents of northeastern and western Colorado switched to the 970 area code.

The demand for prefixes had increased rapidly in Colorado because of record growth and the introduction of new and competitive services. As a result, a new area code was needed as the supply of exchange prefixes available in the 303 area code was going to exhaust in 1995.

Again, not affecting local numbers but still noted in the state, on June 1, 1998, a 720 area code was put into use as an overlay of area code 303.

Looking to the future, area code 983 has been approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission as an all-services overlay of area codes 303 and 720.

However, area code 983 will not be put into service until area codes 303 and 720 have no remaining prefixes to be assigned.

Reason for switch to 10-digit dialing explained

In the spring 2021 edition of PC Telcom Connections, it was noted that in July of 2020, the Federal Communications Commission adopted an order approving the designation of 988 as the three-digit dialing code to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

To facilitate implementation, area codes in 37 states where the 988 prefix is a working prefix and which now use seven-digit local dialing must switch to 10-digit local dialing.

That includes the 970 area code, and 10-digit dialing will become a reality next week.

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