Wilmington, N.C.- There was a time, not too long ago, when a change in area code was big news. For starters it meant businesses would have to order new stationery and letterhead. But it was more than that-more than just the expense. Back in the day switching one three-digit number for another could almost produce an identity crisis. The code was a symbol of your town, where you lived, the place you called home.
People eventually got over it. They adjusted. They had to, because area codes were changing all the time. With computers, fax machines and of course cell phones, there just weren’t enough numbers to go around.
According to Wikipedia, from 1947 to 1993, the entire state of North Carolina only had one area code. The state now has nine with a 10th area code to join the mix this fall covering Wilmington and the entire Cape Fear Region.
But that news is not as big as it used to seem to. If you already have a phone number, then nothing is going to change.
The new 472 area code will be used alongside the existing 910 area code, serving the same geographic region. The move does not require current 910 customers to get new numbers but any new phone lines (both cellular and landlines) will go under 472.
The move is just another reminder that area codes no longer represent a geographical location. They are no just a sign of when or how long you’ve had your current phone number.
Starting on October 7th , new customers in the 910 area code may be assigned a 472 number.
The 472 area code is one of 26 new codes that are being added between now and the end of the year.