ON THE DIAL

A new area code is coming to central Indiana.

Starting next year, new phone numbers in central Indiana could get the area code 463, which spells out IND on the telephone keypad. State officials said the change is needed because the current 317 area code is expected to run out of new phone numbers in the second quarter of 2017, according to a news release from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission.

The addition comes about a year after a new 930 area code was added in central Indiana, including in Seymour and Columbus, where the 812 area code is used.

In central Indiana, you won’t get the new area code if you keep your current number; only new phone numbers will be assigned the 463 area code, the release said.

But you will likely need to change the way you dial phone numbers or program them into your cellphone.

The new area code will be added as an overlay, which allows the addition of a new code along with an existing area code. That allows people to keep their current phone numbers with a 317 area code, while new ones are assigned with a new 463 area code, the release said.

But callers will have to dial the full 10-digit number, including the area code, since central Indiana will have two area codes, the release said.

That change is planned to begin late next spring.

Next, a state committee is putting together a 13-month implementation plan. The committee will need to develop an education program, which will include answering questions about dialing with 10 digits, the release said.

When the new area code was added in southern Indiana, the implementation was delayed because businesses and the telecommunications industry weren’t prepared for the switch to using 10 digits when dialing.

The state began discussing the new area code for central Indiana last year, including public meetings and accepting comments from the public. Once the new area code begins, new phone numbers could be assigned either a 317 or 463 area code, the release said.

[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”At a glance” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]

Here is what you need to know about the new area code to be added in central Indiana:

Your number will not change.

Only new numbers will be assigned the new 463 area code.

Why it’s needed.

The new 463 area code is needed because the 317 area code would run out of numbers by the second quarter of 2017.

What you need to know.

The change will require people to dial 10 digits when making calls — the area code and seven-digit phone number.

When it will change.

If approved, the new area code will go into effect in spring 2016.

SOURCE: Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission

[sc:pullout-text-end]