CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In three months, West Virginians will need to dial 10 digits even if they're calling an upstairs neighbor, but awareness may be slow to take hold.
Carolyn Barr is a member of the committee guiding the state's transition to two area codes. Barr says a recent check by Verizon on calls routed through Lewisburg, Logan and Parkersburg found 40 percent of callers still dialing seven digits.
Right now, West Virginia callers have the option of dialing seven or 10 digits. But starting March 1, calls won't go through without the area code.
Barr is concerned about older residents, who have programmed security systems or rely on speed dial.
The switch to 10 digits coincides with the addition of the new 681 area code.
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now people can dail ten numbers before some of the other states. with two area codes it would be many a year before ten digit dailing is needed. Oh! WV you cannot keep your children in the state, (every year after high school graduation it is a mass exodus) but you will have ten digit dailing. whats next, maybe jobs??? WV IS DEMONCRAT CONTROLED AND DEMONCRAT RUN AND HAS BEEN FOR MANY YEARS. Do something for the people, not something to make people out of state think we are bigtime.