HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - The Hampton Roads area will now have a new area code.
The State Corporation Commission announced Wednesday that the North American Numbering Plan Administrator has assigned a new area code to the area.
948 area code will be used once the 757 area code fills up with phone numbers.
757 area code was created in 1996, splitting off from Richmond's 804 area code.
Officials say they predict the available numbers in the 757 region will run out in the end of 2021.
No phone numbers currently used in the 757 area code region will be changed, allowing all residents and businesses to keep their existing numbers.
An order issued by the SCC plans to set a 13 month implementation schedule, allowing six months for users to use seven digits to call locally until the time comes to use ten digits.
