1/15/98
ATHENS, Ohio -- Ohio University plans an information blitz to ensure students, faculty, staff and parents are aware of the region's new 740 area code.
The new area code went into effect Dec. 6 for Central and Southeastern Ohio, including Ohio University's main campus and five regional campuses. Its use becomes mandatory June 6. Until then, callers can use either the 740 or 614 area code, although Ohio University officials urge callers to begin using the new code immediately so that the transition is a smooth one. Only Franklin County and small portions of some bordering counties will remain in the 614 area code region once the switch is official.
Bryan McNulty, executive director of news services, said the parents of Ohio University's more than 16,000 Athens campus undergraduate students will receive stickers reminding them of the change with their On Campus newsletter in February. Also in coming weeks, faculty and staff will receive e-mail messages and flyers reminding them to include the 740 area code on new stationery, business cards and other materials as they place new orders and also to make the change for speed dial telephone numbers and fax machine and e-mail signatures.
Few glitches in making the switch to the new area code have been reported, said Thomas Reid, director of Ohio University Communication Network Services. He does offer some advice if callers to the university's main or regional campuses have trouble placing calls.
"The programming changes necessary to activate any new area code must be made in thousands of switches operated by hundreds of companies," Reid said. All local exchange carriers must update their databases.
"Although this generally happens in a pretty organized fashion, holes' do arise from which callers cannot dial the new area code due to the lack of programming changes," Reid said. If this occurs, callers should contact their local telephone company.
Another scenario is that businesses running their own internal telephone switch also may have to update their software to accept the 740 area code. "Again, all we can do is to advise callers to contact whatever entity provides the telephone service they are using to try to place the call," Reid said.
Cindy Irwin, business office manager for Communication Network Services, said the office has received few calls about problems with the changeover.
"I expected more calls than we've received," Irwin said. "It's really gone pretty smoothly."