Corfe Castle at sunrise
For people living in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, the 1st November 2012 could bring the start of a new way to make local calls.
Ofcom needs to free up more phone numbers whilst allowing people in the 01202 area to keep their normal phone numbers. The solution they came up with was to require people to use the 01202 area code when making local calls. This means that numbers that previously needed no area code will need the area code pre-fix to work.
Ofcom’s Competition Director, Stuart McIntosh said: “We expect people to need to dial the code from 1 November 2012 and are working closely with local groups to make sure that residents and businesses are aware well in advance of that date.
We are introducing this measure in a small number of areas of the UK where demand is high for landline numbers.”
The 01202 area will be the first in the UK to undergo the change (although it is still subject to consultation).
Update – these changes will now definitely be going ahead.
