10-digit dialing will become mandatory for Illinois residents in 618 area code

Illinois residents with 618, 309 or 708 area codes are being asked to dial 10 digits beginning April 24 to make local and long-distance calls to get in practice for a mandatory change on Oct. 24.

Those with the 708 area code will have to dial 1 plus the 10 digits.

The change is needed to ensure that people can start dialing 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by July 16, 2022, according to a news release from the Illinois Commerce Commission.

Last year, the Federal Communications Commission adopted an order approving 988 as the abbreviated dialing code for the lifeline.

“The order requires all telecommunications carriers, Interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VolP) providers and one-way VolP providers (covered providers) to make any network changes necessary to support 988 as the abbreviated dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline,” the press release states.

“The FCC also ordered any area code that has a 988 prefix assigned and has 7- digit local dialing to be transitioned to 10-digit local dialing. There are 37 states and 83 area codes impacted by this Order where 988 is a working prefix.”

The Illinois Commerce Commission is asking people with 618, 309 or 708 area codes to reprogram or update any automatic-dialing equipment, life-safety systems, fax machines, fire or burglar alarms, mobile contact lists and call-forwarding arrangements.

Calls made to numbers with one of the three area codes by dialing seven digits will not go through after Oct. 24. A recording will announce that they “cannot be completed as dialed.”

“Customers will not have to change phone numbers, and the price of the call will not change due to the dialing change,” the news release stated.

People must continue to dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline until July 16, 2022.

For more information, visit the Federal Communications Commission website at https://www.fcc.gov/suicide-prevention-hotline. A list of answers to frequently asked questions about the new 10-digit dialing can be found on the Illinois Commerce Commission website (click on “988 IL Converstion FAQ”).

This story was originally published March 22, 2021 at 5:00 AM.