Deadline Looms For New Area Code Grace Period Ends Monday For Calls To Area Code 360

After nearly a year-and-a-half of planning, GTE Northwest and US West Communications will launch the new 360 area code for Western Washington Monday.

The grace period for calls headed into the 360 area code - all of Western Washington excluding the Seattle/ Tacoma/Everett corridor - ends Sunday.

For callers, that means the numbers in the 360 calling area that still worked if you dialed the old 206 code won’t work as of Monday.

Both GTE Northwest (for North Idaho residents) and US West Communications want businesses to make sure their phone systems can dial into the new area code.

Many PBX phone systems the most common type of business phone - need updating to be able to call the set of new area codes popping up around the West.

Instead of having a 1 or 0 as the middle digit of the three-digit code, the new area codes have higher numbers. Old phone systems can’t identify the new area codes because of the different middle digits.

Bob Wayt of GTE Northwest in Portland said there’s really no way of estimating how many phone systems in the area still aren’t able to dial 360.

, DataTimes MEMO: To make sure that phones can access 360, both phone companies have toll-free test numbers for businesses to call. For GTE customers, call (360) 416-0215. For US West customers, call (360) 532-0023 or (360) 576-0023.