By Cheril Lee
Omaha, NE – Starting February 26th, according to the Nebraska Public Service Commission, all local calls will need to be dialed using 10 digits.
Commissioner Anne Boyle says that includes calls from the metro to Council Bluffs. Individuals will have to include the 712 before the number. Additionally, she says the commission has approved the addition of a new area code to the state. Boyle says the new area code will be 531 and will likely not be assigned until later in the year. She says one reason for the new area code is the state is simply running out of prefixes. Boyle says, "the other reason is technology in the 402 area code. That's because we have families with more than one cell phone, each with its own number. We use fax machines and they always use numbers and even if we use an ATM card that is attached to a number."
Boyle reminds everyone that landlines will not require the caller to dial a 1 before the number. You will only need the 402 prefix followed by the 7-digit phone number.