Experts Say State May Soon Need Fourth Area Code

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Does Oklahoma need a fourth area code? <br><br>Not for a couple of years, says S-B-C Communications spokesman Marty Richter. <br><br>Richter says area codes continue to run out

Saturday, March 18th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Does Oklahoma need a fourth area code?

Not for a couple of years, says S-B-C Communications spokesman Marty Richter.

Richter says area codes continue to run out of phone numbers, which continue to be gobbled up by pagers, fax machines and computers. Oklahoma got its third area code, 580, just two years ago and Richter says that should sustain the state for a few years.

Officials say 24 new area codes were assigned in the United States in the last ten months. The most area codes belong to California, which uses 27 of them.

Officials estimate that by 2002,California will need 47 codes.