534 and 274

From the G B Press

"State regulators OK new Green Bay area code
Starting in 2011, new customers will be assigned 274

By TODD RICHMOND • The Associated Press " State regulators OK new Green Bay area code | greenbaypressgazette.com | Green Bay Press-Gazette

MADISON — New telephone customers in northern Wisconsin will be assigned to new area codes, state regulators decided Thursday.

The decision comes as the Wisconsin Public Service Commission grapples with a dwindling supply of numbers in the wireless world.

"Usable telephone numbers are a finite resource," PSC Chairman Eric Callisto said.

New customers in the 715 area code, which covers roughly the northern half of the state from Eau Claire to Marinette, could get a 534 number as soon as mid-2010. Current customers will keep 715.

New customers in the 920 area code, which includes the Fox River Valley and Green Bay, will get a 274 number starting in late 2011. Existing customers will keep 920.

The changes mean people will have to dial 10 digits to make any call. They won't face any new fees, according to the PSC.

Callisto said cell phones and other wireless communication devices as well as more homes with multiple lines are gobbling up phone numbers in area codes statewide.