New Idaho Area Code Sought

Idaho will run out of 208-prefix phone numbers in about two years, the Idaho Public Utilities Commission announced Tuesday. An agency that contracts with the federal government to administer the nation’s area code numbering plan recently informed Idaho officials and telecommunications providers that the 208 area code is projected to run out of available numbers in mid-2018. The proliferation of wireless telephones, new competitive telephone companies, paging and messaging and other services is contributing to the increase in demand for new telephone numbers, according to the PUC news release. Idaho’s telecommunications providers are asking the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to begin a 16-month implementation period for a second area code. There is no cost to customers, the PUC states/ Idaho Statesman . More here.

DFO (via Alison Boggs): Let’s have a little fun. Matching letters to the numbers on the phone, suggest a new area code for Idaho. We’ll start it off… GEM (436)? GOP (467)? BSU (278)? Your turn …