OTTAWA – Area code 548 will be rolled out in in the region currently served by area codes 226 and 519 in southwestern Ontario starting June 4, 2016, the Telecommunications Alliance confirmed Tuesday.
After this date, residents and businesses requesting a new phone number may get a number with the 548 area code. Numbers with the new area code will only be assigned to customers when the existing supply of 226 and 519 numbers is depleted.
Currently, the 226 and 519 area codes cover most of southwestern Ontario, which includes the communities of London, Windsor, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Brantford, Sarnia, Woodstock, Stratford and Owen Sound.
"The introduction of a new area code creates millions of additional telephone numbers without affecting existing numbers," said Glen Brown, spokesperson for the Canadian Numbering Administrator, in the announcement. "It is part of today's reality throughout North America and demonstrates the flexibility and growth potential of Canadian communications networks."
The move comes after a decision by the CRTC designed to meet the continuously growing demand for new telephone numbers.
