New Area Code Assigned to New Jersey

New Area Code Assigned to New Jersey

856 Issued For Geographic Split of 609 Area Code

March 9, 1999

NEWARK -- The number 856 has been assigned as the new southern
New Jersey area code, created by a split of the current region served by the
609 area code.

Lockheed Martin, the national area code administrator, issued the code to
Bell Atlantic after review of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities'
decision last month to create several million new local numbers by
splitting the state's 609 region. Residents and businesses on the eastern
side of the split will retain the 609 code, while those on the western side
will be given the new 856 area code.

This action will effectively double the supply of numbers available to
satisfy growing consumer needs and demand for new telecommunications
services.

(A list of exchanges in the new area code are included at the end of
this release.)

The area code split will be implemented by June 12, 1999. For a period of
approximately 5 months, calls placed to telephone numbers in the new 856
area code will be completed whether or not the new code is dialed.
Beginning Nov. 13, calls to the new area code will not be completed
unless the new 856 code is dialed.

Further information on the implementation schedule will be available
following a meeting of industry representatives later this month.

The new 856 area code will include all of Salem County, as well as major
portions of Gloucester, Camden and Cumberland counties and smaller
portions of Burlington and Atlantic counties.

Bell Atlantic is at the forefront of the new communications and
information industry. With more than 42 million telephone access lines
and 8.6 million wireless customers worldwide, Bell Atlantic companies
are premier providers of advanced wireline voice and data services, market
leaders in wireless services and the world's largest publishers of directory
information. Bell Atlantic companies are also among the world's largest
investors in high-growth global communications markets, with operations
and investments in 23 countries.

The list of exchange codes (NXXs) was provided by Lockheed Martin and
is subject to change.

Local Exchange Codes To Be Included In New 856 Area Code

205 325 461 595 740 842
210 327 464 596 741 843
216 328 467 598 742 845
218 331 468 600 746 848
222 337 470 608 751 851
223 338 473 613 752 853
224 339 474 614 753 854
225 342 475 616 754 855
227 346 477 619 755 857
228 349 478 622 756 858
231 350 479 623 757 863
232 351 481 627 761 864
233 354 482 629 762 866
234 355 483 630 764 869
235 356 486 635 765 873
237 357 488 642 767 874
240 358 489 644 768 875
241 359 507 650 769 878
244 363 508 651 770 879
245 365 515 657 772 881
246 367 521 661 773 885
248 369 531 662 776 891
249 374 532 663 778 899
250 377 533 665 779 901
251 379 535 667 782 910
253 384 536 668 783 914
255 401 537 669 784 916
256 414 539 672 785 917
262 415 540 674 786 931
270 416 541 675 787 933
271 422 542 678 788 935
273 423 543 681 793 938
274 424 544 686 794 939
276 427 545 690 795 940
277 428 546 691 796 946
284 429 547 692 797 960
289 433 549 694 798 962
293 435 563 696 802 963
299 437 564 697 809 964
302 438 565 701 810 966
303 439 566 715 813 968
307 445 568 718 821 969
309 446 573 719 824 974
310 447 574 721 825 975
312 451 580 722 829 979
317 453 582 727 830 983
318 454 589 728 831 985
321 455 590 733 833 988
322 456 591 736 837 996
323 459 593 738 840