On April 23rd, 2022, a new area code will be introduced in Alberta, in addition to the province’s current 403, 587, 780, and 825 area codes.
According to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the new code ‘368’ is meant to fulfil the growing demand for new numbers in Alberta.
“The introduction of a new area code creates millions of additional telephone numbers without affecting the existing numbers,” said Kelly T. Walsh, program manager at the Canadian Numbering Administrator. “The new area code 368 will be added to the current area codes already in use in Alberta.”
After April 23rd, 2022, customers and businesses that request a new phone number may be assigned one with the new area code. Numbers with the new 368 area code will be allocated to customers only when numbers with the old area codes are extinguished.
Further, the addition of the new area code will have no effect on the geographic limits for local calling areas or the way long-distance calls are dialled. Special numbers like 211, 311, 411, 611, and 911 will not be impacted and will continue to be dialled with three digits.
The number of years it takes for the need to add a new area code has been decreasing sharply. The first area code in Alberta, 403, was introduced in 1947, with the next code, 780 being introduced 52 years later in 1999. Following that, area code 587 was added nine years later, in 2008 and area code 825 in 2016, just eight years later. The latest area code marks the fastest time in Alberta’s history where the need to add a new code has arisen — in just five years.
Source: CRTC
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