Triad Area Code Transition Begins Saturday

The Piedmont Triad is running out of phone numbers, which means a new area code is coming soon. But don't worry, the 336 isn't going away.

The new code – 743 – is an addition, not a replacement, and the overlay transition begins Saturday.

Starting this weekend, people making local calls will have the option to dial either the seven-digit number they're used to, or the full ten-digits—which includes the 336 area code.

When the new designation arrives next year, Triad residents will have to dial the ten-digit phone number, no matter what.

The state utilities commission is trying to train people for next spring, when they'll need to include either 336 or 743, even when calling a next-door neighbor.

The commission stresses that the new dialing method won't change the cost of calls, and people who like their 336 will be able to keep it, as long as they don't change service.

Phone carriers will begin issuing the new code in May 2016.