10 digit dialing is universal in USA

On Jan 16, 2022, the United States transistioned to 10 digit dialing for local numbers. This was done to enable 988 to be an easy to remember national suicide prevention lifeline. We process calls to 988 every month; it is a valuable service. Our local area codes (206)/(360)/(564) do not have a 988 exchange. Techically a 7 digit number could work, other than all phone carriers are required to reject the call. There is that… I am old and crusty enough that I still dial 7 digit codes on land lines, get frustrated, then dial the 10 digit number and mutter something that makes my family concerned about my mental acuity. As a result, on our net253 home phone service (and small business systems) I went through lengths to program short cuts so dialing 7 digits would automatically pre-pend the local prefix and try the call.

Recently we upgraded a small business phone system to a new solution. We didn’t implement the 7 digit short cut. The next day I had to do an emergancy service call as “all the lines are down, we cannot dial out”. It turned out all the young people at the office had no issue, it was just the old crusty ones who were just like me. Lesson learned; no good dead goes unpunished. My boujee 7 digit shortcut has bit back.