Transition to 10-Digit Dialing (Area Code + Number) to Begin on April 24

Beginning April 24, 2021, callers in Hawai‘i will be encouraged to dial the area code (808) plus the telephone number when making local calls, six months before this will be required for local calls to complete.

The change to 10-digit dialing for local calls is driven by the Federal Communications Commission’s adoption of Order (FCC 20-100) that approved “988” as the three-digit dialing code to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline starting on July 16, 2022.

The Order requires all telecommunications carriers such as Hawaiian Telcom, interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, and one-way VoIP providers to make any network changes necessary to ensure that users can dial “988” to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by July 16, 2022.

Hawai‘i is among 36 states that uses the “988” prefix and must transition to 10-digit dialing for local calls.

April 24 through Oct. 23, 2021 is a permissive dialing period when 10-digit dialing is encouraged but seven-digit calls will still go through. Beginning on Oct. 24, 2021 callers in Hawai‘i must dial 10 digits (area code + telephone number) or local calls will be not be completed.

Safety and security equipment, such as medical alert and monitoring devices, and alarms, security systems and gates must be programmed to use 10-digit dialing by Oct. 24, 2021 to avoid interruption. The public is advised to contact their medical alert or security provider if they are not sure whether equipment needs to be reprogrammed to accommodate the upcoming change to 10-digit (or 1+10-digits) local dialing. Other devices and services that may need to be re-programmed include:

• PBXs
• Fax machines
• Internet dial-up numbers
• Speed dialers
• Wireless phone contact lists
• Call forwarding settings
• Voicemail services and other similar functions

Hawaiian Telcom provides the following advice: “Be sure to check your website, personal and business stationery, advertising materials, personal and business checks, contact information, your personal or pet ID tags, and other such items to ensure the area code is included.”

What will remain the same?

• Your telephone number, including current area code, will not change.
• The price of a call, coverage area, or other rates and services will not change due to the dialing change.
• What is a local call now will remain a local call regardless of the number of digits dialed.
• You will continue to dial 1+ the area code + telephone number for all long-distance.
• You will continue to dial a prefix (such as “9”) when dialing from a multi-line telephone system (e.g., in a hotel, office building, etc.) as required.
• You can still dial just three digits to reach 711 (relay services) and 911 (emergency services).
• If 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711 or 811 are currently available in your community, dial these codes with just three digits.
• The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can still be reached by dialing 1-800-273-TALK (8255) even after the 988 code is in effect.

Beginning July 16, 2022, dialing “988” will route your call to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Prior to this, callers must dial 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

For more information, visit the North American Numbering Plan Administrator’s website, email questions about the dialing procedure change to NANPA at [email protected], or visit the FCC’s website. Hawaiian Telcom customers may also visit hawaiiantel.com/dial808 for more information.