New York City is getting a new area code. Here's who will get the new number.
NEW YORK -- New York City is getting a new area code, but we have to wait and see what it will be.
The New York State Public Service Commission has approved what's known as an all-services area code overlay for the five boroughs.
Officials say existing phone numbers will stay the same, and all new numbers will be assigned the new area code once the existing 347, 718, 917 and 929 ones are completely taken. They also say the new three-digit area code will be chosen in the "coming months."
"There is a clear need for more telephone numbers as a result of economic growth and activity in the New York City metro areas, therefore, an additional area code is required," New York State Public Service Commission Chair Rory M. Christian said in a statement Thursday. "The new area code overlay will be able to address the expansion of telecommunication services which serves this region and to support future demand."
The new all-services overlay code will cover the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Marble Hill neighborhood of Manhattan. Officials say the demand for new phone numbers is largely driven by new technology, like cellphones and tablets, and is a sign of economic growth.
All new area codes over the past several years in New York and the United States have been created using this overlay method, officials say. Parts of Long Island got a new overlay area code back in January 2023, shifting from 516 to 363.