Area Code Test & Change Recordings

When a new area code is created (either by a split or overlay), telephone companies create “Area Code Test Numbers” to make sure that the routings are set up correctly by local and long distance providers. The following are examples of both Area Code test number announcement recordings, and mandatory Area Code change recordings.

Area Code Test Recordings

Examples of recordings that local telephone companies set up in order to confirm routings to a new Area Code. These are typically in place several months before the new Area Code takes affect (overlay or split). Most of these are only in operation for a very short amount of time for telephone engineers to make sure that the network is set up correctly to route to the new Area Codes, and then are disconnected once they are no longer needed. In rare cases they can stay up indefinitely.

Area Code, State, Company who provided the recording, and date

276 Virginia, Verizon (2001)

325 Texas, SBC (2003)

424 California, SBC (2005)

430 Texas, SBC (2003)

432 Texas, SBC (2003)

434 Virginia, Verizon (2003)

448 Florida, Inteliquent (January 2021) (Both English and Spanish)

450 Quebec, Bell Canada (1998) (Both French and English)

540 Virginia, Bell Atlantic (1995) (Still in operation)

575 New Mexico, Qwest (2007) (Last Area Code Split ever!)

620 Kansas, SBC (2001) (Includes SIT and TTY tones)

624 New York (overlay of 716), Regional Telephone of New York (Livewire Telecom) (September 2023)

647 Ontario, Bell Canada (2000)

647 Ontario, AT&T Canada (2000) (Source: Joel Rosenblum)

671 Guam, Guam Telephone (1997) (Two different recordings and two different reorder sounds)

684 American Samoa, ASTCA (2003) (Formerly dialed as Country Code +684, entered NANP in fall of 2004. The first part of the recording is a muted 2600 Hz tone for answer supervision.)

762 Georgia, BellSouth (2005)

Area Code Change Recordings via AT&T Long Distance

Examples of various AT&T recordings use to inform callers that the area code for the number they have dialed has changed to a new number. These are set up after a new are code goes mandatory after an area code split. Early recordings gave the trailer codes for the area code the tandem was located in. Modern recordings give it in NSN (Network Switch Number) format. These will probably no longer be provided since there are no more area code splits since 2007.

Area Code, Trailer Style (modern/old), Languages, Date, and Notes

321 Florida, Modern, Female, English/Spanish (1999)

325 Texas, Modern, Male, English/Spanish (2003)

432 Texas, Modern, Male, English/Spanish (2003)

386 Florida, Modern, Female, English/Spanish (2001) Notice she says the area code (386) in English instead of Spanish.

434 Virginia, Modern, Male, English (2001)

610 Pennsylvania, Old, Female, English (1994) Old tandem trailer code style 215-4T

724 Pennsylvania, Modern, Female, English (1998)

763 & 952 Minnesota, Modern, Male, English (2000) Split in to two possible area codes

928 Arizona, Modern, Male, English/Spanish (2001)

Area Code Change Recordings – Other Long Distance Carriers

Examples of area code change recordings from MCI and Sprint. These will probably no longer be provided since there are no more area code splits since 2007.

Area Code, Location, Company who provided the recording, date, and notes

434 Virginia, MCI (2001)

434 Virginia, Sprint (2001)

684 American Samoa, MCI (April 2005) Informing callers to dial as a domestic call and not as international

684 American Samoa, Sprint (April 2005) Notice how it “cranks back” to my local end office (Verizon) and plays an “all circuits busy” recording.

684 American Samoa, unknown (April 2005) This recording informs callers to dial American Samoa as Area Code 684. The company who made this recording is unknown, but has “114” as its trailer code.

Area Code Change Recordings – Local Telephone Companies

Recordings that local telephone companies set up in order to inform the caller that the area code for the number they have dialed has changed to a new number. These are set up after a new are code goes mandatory after an area code split. These will probably no longer be provided since there are no more area code splits since 2007.

Area Code, Location, Company, date, and notes

325 Texas, SBC (October 2003) Recorded via Vartec long distance company.

830 & 956 Texas, SBC (1997) Two recordings, both in English and Spanish.

724 Pennsylvania, North Pittsburgh Telephone Company (1998) Local recording from the (now former) North Pittsburgh Telephone Co.

763 & 952 Minnesota, Qwest (2001) This is for the 612 area code three-way split into area codes 763 and 952. (includes TTY tones).

951 California, SBC (November 2004) Listen to the ENTIRE recording – its three recordings in one! The call was made via the Vartech long distance company. The first appears to be a local SBC recordings informing of the new 951 area code. The next one appears to be from a Nortel DMS tandem (generic “your call cannot be completed”). Finally, an AT&T area code change recording in both English and Spanish from the AT&T San Bernardino 4ESS tandem (113-T).

951 California, Verizon (November 2004) Recorded via Vartec long distance company.

951 California, Verizon (November 2004) The call was made via the YAK Communications long distance company. This is FOUR recordings in one. The first two are from two Verizon tandems in the region, the third is probably from YAK, and the last one is from my local phone company, as the call kept “cranking back” to my local central office.

Area Code Warning Recordings – Local Telephone Companies

A rarely used system whereby callers calling the old area code during the permissive period of an area code split are reminded to dial the new area code the next time they call.

450 Quebec, Bell Canada (1998)

This is four recordings in one. The first set is a “warning” instructing the caller to dial this number next time as Area Code 450 instead of Area Code 514. The second set is the test number recording for Area Code 450. Both sets are French, then English.

 

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Area Code Test & Change Recordings
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North Pittsburgh Telephone Company Recordings
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