For Some the 254 Area Code’s Days Are Numbered

By Mike Copeland, Waco Tribune-Herald, Texas

Jan. 29–Waco’s 254 area code is vanishing right before our eyes, the victim of Central Texas’ growth and wireless phones snatching up phone numbers.

But the end is not exactly right around the corner. Experts say 254 probably will be with us for another 10 years.

Still, it is among only a handful of area codes nationwide quickly approaching capacity.

“Our current projected exhaust date for 254 is the third quarter of 2017. If you look back to April 2004, we were looking at a potential exhaust date of 2021,” said John Manning, director of the North American Numbering Plan Administration. “You can see the exhaust date has come forward a few years.” Why?

“It’s probably a combination of things: population growth, cellular becoming more popular and new service providers moving into the area,” said Manning.

An area code limit has been met when the number of phone number prefixes has run out. Prefixes are the three numbers that follow the area code. Once the area code is exhausted, a new area code will be created for at least part of 254′s geographic area.

Chris Evilia, director of the local Metropolitan Planning Organization, has a different take on why 254 is fading fast.

“It probably was one of the first of the new generation area codes,” said Evilia. “Remember when area codes started proliferating? They began placing digits other than 0 or 1 as the middle digit, and 254 was one of the earlier ones.” Waco residents may recall that 254 arrived in May 1997, replacing what was the local 817 area code, which now primarily serves Fort Worth.

Area code 254 extends from near Fort Worth southward to Bell County and the growing Killeen/Temple/Fort Hood corridor. It takes in 23 counties.

Bell County has seen its population explode by nearly 39 percent since 1990, rising from 191,088 to 264,960 residents in 2006.

Waco’s home, McLennan County, has experienced steady growth during that time. Its population has moved from 189,123 to 223,567, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and the Texas Data Center.

Figures provided by the Federal Communications Commission also show that wireless customers have been snapping up phone numbers in 254.

In December 2001, 638,000 telephone numbers had been assigned to landline customers in the 254 area code, while 291,000 numbers had been assigned to wireless customers.

By December 2005 c the latest year for which figures are available c the number of landline-assigned numbers had risen modestly to 655,000.

But wireless-assigned numbers had jumped to 538,000.

Of course, wireless use is booming nationwide. But other factors are preventing area codes elsewhere from exhausting.

The need for new area codes has sharply declined since 2001, mainly because new regulations cut down on wasted telephone numbers.

Also, the end of the telecommunications boom chased small startup companies from the phone market, freeing numbers those companies had hoped to provide. As a result, area codes old and new are in better shape than expected five years ago c with a few exceptions.

Change is part of growth The numbering administration has extended the projected “exhaustion” dates of nearly all 322 geographic area codes. Among the few estimated to be depleted earlier than expected are the 212 and 646 codes that serve Manhattan; 229 for Albany, Ga.; 309 for Peoria, Ill.; 702 for Las Vegas; 904 for Jacksonville, Fla.

And, of course, 254 for Waco.

Changing an area code carries a price, said Jim Vaughan, president of the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. Companies have to change business cards and letterheads, for example.

“But you usually are given plenty of time to make the transition,” he added.

When the transition occurs, said Vaughan, Waco residents may not see a change in their area code. The 254 geographic area may be split, with the Temple/Killeen area getting a new number and Waco keeping 254.

It all remains to be sorted out, a little sooner than later.

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