WV COULD GET A SECOND AREA CODE

(02/12/2007)
West Virginia could get a new telephone area code.

The Public Service Commission will decide this year whether the state needs a second area code.

The state has had the 304 area code since 1947, but deregulation and the growth of cell phones and other telecommunication systems is rapidly expanding the system.

Out of the more than seven million possible telephone numbers, there are only 350,000 un-assigned to a carrier.

It could be that new numbers would be assigned to the new area code, rather than requiring businesses and others to change their numbers based on their location.