dial up
Out of towners, grab your numbers! This is your last chance to get a 512 beforeit's gone
We Austinites take our numbers seriously. There's something inherently cool about living in "The '04," because, as the bumper sticker say, "It's not just a zip code — It's a way of life." The same may soon be true for Austin's currently all-encompassing area code. You see, our dear 512 is nearing the end of its rope, and sometime in 2013 its numbers will run out.
Enter 737. Earlier this month, City of Austin officials proposed a plan that would include adding the new area code 737 to Austin (and surrounding areas) in an effort to handle not only population growth, but the exponential demand for wireless phone numbers. The plan also means we'll say goodbye to seven-digit dialing and switch completely to 10-digit dialing in June 2013.
On Thursday morning, officials invited the public to weigh in on the 737 plan at a public utility hearing. Though the official public forum just took place, Austin's silent scramble for 512 numbers has been building for days.
Last Friday, Mix 94.7 DJs, JB & Sandy, announced their own plan of action, which includes buying their (very) young daughters cell phones now, to insure they are grandfathered into the old guard of 512.
If you've been holding on to your pre-Austin cell phone number, this is the time to make your move and secure a spot as an old school Austinite. Because as the 737 plan takes place, 512 will inevitably become more than "just an area code." It will be the easiest identifier between natives and those who didn't get move here soon enough.
Although, if you do have to settle for second best, 737 has a pretty nice ring to it.
Tell us. Will you be switching to 512 before time runs out?