Calling All 918 Customers

By Margaret Stokes & Chris Howell NewsOn6.com

TULSA, OK-- The 918 area code is running out of telephone numbers, and now the Oklahoma Corporation Commission is weighing their options.

The organization that regulates phone numbers has notified the Commission that the 918 area code is expected to run out of phone numbers by 2011. Before the Commission decides what will be done, they want the opinion of green country.

At a news conference held by the Commission it was explained there are two different options for handling what's called the "number exhaust."

Option one is an "area code split" which would involve splitting the 918 area code into two sections. One side would keep their current number; the other would get a new area code.

All calls would still be local, and customers will continue to dial seven digits locally.

Where the area could split follows the existing Tulsa area calling plan. The details on exactly where that line falls are not available yet.

Option number two is called an area code overlay. In this plan, all current 918 numbers would stay the same, and new numbers to Tulsa would get a new area code. That would require 10-digit dialing locally.

Right now the Commission wants the public to weigh in on what the best option is. No decision will be made until late this summer, and then the change will most likely take place in the next year and a half to two years.

The cost for the changes has not been determined, which is a big reason the Commission wants to hear from the public to make sure they choose the best option for residents.

A survey form and full details will be posted soon to the Corporation Commissions website. Residents and businesses can also call the Commission at 405-521-2211 or 1-800-522-8154.

The Commission will be holding town hall meetings in the coming months, but none have been scheduled yet.