A new 728 area code has been announced for Palm Beach County that will serve the same geographic boundaries as the 561 area code. Approved in December 2021 by the Florida Public Service Commission, the new area code overlay will extend the supply of telephone numbers in the area.
Existing customers will keep their current telephone numbers, but new customers, or requests for additional lines, will be assigned the new area code. Everyone will now dial the area code plus the seven-digit phone number to make local calls (10-digit dialing).
“Florida is fortunate to have great weather, a healthy economy and a growing population — especially in beautiful Palm Beach County,” PSC Chair Andrew Giles Fay said. “As a result of Florida’s growth and the depletion of 561 phone numbers, the commission has approved an additional area code to satisfy the growing consumer demand.”
To prepare for 10-digit dialing, the PSC encourages residents to ensure that all relevant equipment recognize the new 728 area code as a valid area code and to begin programming 10-digit telephone numbers.
Examples of such equipment are life safety systems and medical monitoring devices, stored telephone numbers in mobile and cordless phones, PBXs, fax machines, Internet dial-up numbers, safety alarm and security systems and gates, speed dialers, call forwarding settings, voicemail services and similar functions.
Phone numbers in Florida and throughout the United States are governed by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator. In April 2021, NANPA forecasted a need for 561 area code relief. An industry meeting was held in October 2021, and NANPA then filed a petition with the PSC favoring the “all-services distributed overlay plan.” A virtual workshop was held in November 2021 by the PSC staff to hear from affected customers.
For more information about the area code changes, the commission has released a Consumer Assistance Summary that details these changes. Residents can also contact their local telephone carrier or call the PSC’s customer assistance line at (800) 342-3552.
For additional information, visit www.floridapsc.com.
