Newfoundland, Labrador postpone 10-digit dialing, new area code

ST. JOHN'S – Newfoundland and Labrador remain one of the few places in Canada where callers need to only dial seven digits.On Tuesday, the Telecommunications Alliance said that the introduction of 10-digit dialing and the new area code 879 had been deferred further to a CRTC decision earlier this month plus recent numbering forecasts that indicate that current area code 709 will not reach capacity this year.Each communications provider in Canada submits regular forecasts of their requirements for numbering resources to the Canadian Numbering Administrator. Factors such as population and economic growth, plans for new services by carriers, and changes in...