As New Hampshire grows, we need more phone numbers. Because of this demand, the phone company is running out of seven digit numbers for the 603 area code. The state needs to find another area code and figure out what part of the state will have it.
What half of New Hampshire will keep the 603 area code and what half will have the new area code? Right now, 603 is part of New Hampshire’s identity. We were given the number in 1947, one of the original assignments, and it has been our only area code ever since. New Hampshire has made it into a marketing strategy. Local businesses sell shirts with the number. A truck show, 603 Diesels, uses the area code in their name. Convenience stores and souvenir shops sell 603 stickers, sometimes in the shape of the state. It symbolizes residents and businesses located in the entire state of New Hampshire.
The 603 area code for New Hampshire is running out of 7 digit numbers. Why is that? Originally, one number covered an entire household, or an entire business. Today, few people have land lines. Now, we all have cell phones. Each phone has its own phone number, so this means 603 numbers are going fast, especially as the population grows. There will soon be more people than there are seven digit numbers in New Hampshire. Some people also have multiple phones for work and personal use, and that claims more 603 numbers. There is more demand and supply is limited.
Governor Sununu signed an executive order on October 31, 2023 about making a new area code to not overload the 603 area code. It gave the history of the area code and the ways the Public Utilities Commission has extended the life of the area code. He said “after 75 years, the 603 Area Code is an iconic symbol of New Hampshire.” To increase the lifespan of the 603 area code, Governor Sununu ordered three things: first, the Department of Energy needs to look for unused telephone numbers to reclaim them; second, the department has to report their findings to the governor quickly; and third, that the Department of Business and Economic Affairs has to study how businesses are currently using numbers and possible benefits of using a second area code.
New Hampshire is running out of phone numbers and we will soon need a second area code. Which half of the state will need to give up the 603 identity? No one knows yet. Governor Sununu’s order is trying to keep the 603 area code for the whole state as long as possible. Unfortunately, the population keeps growing and there’s more demand for 603 numbers. We will need a new area code sooner rather than later.
