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New Area Code On The Way In 2018 For Much Of South Jersey

TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- Some changes are coming with the new year for thousands of phone users in South Jersey.

We warned you a few months ago this was coming if you live in the 609 area code.

"We're going to be issuing a new area code for any new handheld device or cell phone or hard line such as a fax machine or other device," Richard Mroz, President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, told KYW Newsradio, "and that will have the 640 area code."

While new phone numbers won't go 640 until September, by mid-August everyone in 609 will have to get used to a new way to make a local call as the new code is overlaid on top of the old one.

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"It will mean that anybody in the 609 or with a new 640 number will, when they call another  609 or 640 number, they have to use the area code and then the rest of the seven digits," Mroz added.

Mind you, they've been doing that in much of Pennsylvania for years now.

On Jan. 20, you can officially start getting used to dialing 10 digits, although Mroz says it'll work if you do that now. While you might be punching more buttons, the call won't cost you more.

Oh, and don't get too confident in 856. Sooner or later, it'll probably hit there as well.

More information on the change is available HERE.

 

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