As of yesterday (Oct. 24, 2021), mandatory 10-digit dialing takes effect across South Dakota.
If you currently don’t, you now have to dial the area code with any telephone number you call– even local calls. Local calls dialed with only seven digits may not be completed. Instead, a recording may inform you that your call cannot be completed as dialed.
State Public Utilities Commission chairman Chris Nelson says the 10-digit requirement is the result of the Federal Communications Commission’s effort to establish 988 as a three-digit dialing code for the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline. He says the new 988 dialing code will be available nationwide by July 16, 2022, and will provide an easy to remember way to reach suicide prevention and mental health services, much like 911 is universally known as the number to call for emergencies.
To prepare, the PUC recommends consumers take proactive steps prior to the upcoming deadline.
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Updating contacts lists to include 10-digit phone numbers, along with all the technology you use on a daily basis or have around your home or office, prior to Oct. 24, 2021, can save you a lot of headaches.
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Be sure to check the settings of things like smart home devices, medical monitoring devices, home security systems, calling networks within companies, and call forwarding or voicemail services, just to name a few,”
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It’s also a good idea to speak with your neighbors, children, parents and grandparents about this change and the need to update their contact lists and technology settings.
Starting July 16, 2022, dialing 988 will route your call to the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline. Until then, customers wishing to reach the Lifeline must continue to dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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