INLAND EMPIRE – (INT) – The local region is running out telephone numbers, so more are being added.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) acted Friday to meet the demand in the region served by the 909 area code. It approved a second area code – 840 - (called an overlay) that will provide additional numbers while minimizing customer inconvenience. Consumer education will begin summer of 2020.

The 909 area code, serving portions of San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange and Los Angeles counties, is projected to run out of available prefixes (the first three numbers after the area code in a phone number) by the third quarter of 2021.

The CPUC’s action will meet the demand for telephone numbers.

Introduced in 1992, the 909 area code replaced 714, which had previously encompassed almost all of the Inland Empire’s Metro Area.

The 951 area code was introduced in 2004 because officials were concerned about running out of 909 prefixes in the fast growing Inland Empire, but unlike the proposed new area code, the change to 951 was a split rather than an overlay.

The 951 area code became the one area code for Western Riverside County, whereas the proposed new area code would be added to new lines issued within the current 909 area code area.

Story Date: June 21, 2019