Are you a 604, 778, 250, or 236 kind of person?
Posted June 3, 2013 8:49 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Classic vs. cutting edge. Modern vs. vintage.
Phone companies like Telus have not seen a rush of first-adopters clamouring for the new “236,” and any perceived bragging rights that go along with it. But your prestige might be on the line with the new area code just rolled out across BC.
“Maybe 604 is now going to be considered vintage. Who knows? That’s pretty popular,” chuckles Liz Sauvé with Telus.
“We definitely also have our trendsetters out there who want to jump in and get that new code, maybe be the first in their group of friends to grab it. It really depends on the person,” she tells News1130.
Phone companies are still distributing existing 604, 778, and 250 area codes before assigning the new 236 code regionally.
“If we have any ‘bandwagoners’ who are really wanting the new code, they’ll have to talk to their service provider to see what we can do for them and what the situation looks like in their area,” notes Sauvé.
But will they be giving up any perceived exclusivity if they give up the good old 604? Does your area code say something about you? Is the classic, original code really better?
“You know what? I don’t know!” Sauvé laughs. “I’m kind of liking the 236; it’s starting to have a better ring to it, now that I’ve been talking about it so much. I personally have a 604 number, so maybe I’ll be one of those to see if I can get in on the new trend.”
If you’re wondering why BC needs a fourth area code, Sauvé says it’s no surprise: numbers, including those with the 778 area code, are simply running out.
“It’s not uncommon for families these days to have more than a dozen numbers to their name, taking into account work phones, personal phones, even young kids getting cellphones. There are also many devices with phone numbers that you typically wouldn’t assume have a phone number attached to them,” she explains.
Mobile Internet keys that you pop into a tablet or laptop computer are among devices eating up phone numbers in BC.
A 2009 business survey in the US suggests 71 per cent of people believe their area code carries more prestige than their postal or zip code.
