RICHMOND — Individuals in the 910 area code in North Carolina — which includes the cities of Rockingham, Laurinburg, Lumberton, Fayetteville, Wilmington and Jacksonville — will have to switch to mandatory 10-digit dialing for a phone call by July 15, 2022.

The 910 area code is projected to run out of available phone numbers by the second quarter of 2023, according to a notice from Christopher Ayers, executive director of the State of North Carolina Utilities Commission. In anticipation of that, the North American Numbering Plan Administrator filed a recommendation with the North Carolina Utilities Commission in December to provide the 910 area code with relief.

Representatives from the telecommunications industry have recommended an all-services overlay. Under the overlay plan, a new area code would be assigned the existing 910 boundaries. That has already happened in Charlotte, Raleigh and Greensboro, according to Bridget Paschal, deputy director of NC Utilities Commission Water, Sewer, and Transportation Division.

An overlay requires mandatory 10-digit dialing for local calls. For example, if you want to call someone locally at 555-1234, you will be required to dial 910-555-1234.

However, this transition was already going to occur by July 15, 2022, for the 910 area code, according to Paschal.

This is a result of the national implementation of 988 as the three-digit abbreviated dialing code for the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis lifeline, ordered by the Federal Communications Commissions, according to the notice.

“You and your neighbor could both have the same area code and be right across the street, but now you’re going to have to dial the 10 digits with the area code in there,” said Paschal.

Paschal said that this specific case in North Carolina is unique and unusual because of the timing of the FCC decision.

“The bad part of the overlay is already resolved because now, everyone is going to have to do mandatory (10-digit dialing) anyway,” Paschal said.

Individuals who want to send written statements to the Commission on this issue should submit it on or before Friday, April 9. They can be addressed to the Chief Clerk, North Carolina Utilities Commission, 4325 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina 27699-4300. Statements can be faxed to 919-733-7300 or submitted electronically to the Commission’s website.

Reach Matthew Sasser at 910-817-2671 or msasser@yourdailyjournal.com.