Get the Facts – Ten-Digit Dialling and New Area Code

Effective May 31, 2018, Jamaica will have a second area code and ten-digit dialling will become mandatory. The island will be the first country in the English-speaking Caribbean to utilise an additional area code.

It is expected that the new area code will provide an additional seven million numbers over the next decade.

The new code (658) will come into use when all number combinations under the existing 876 code have been exhausted. Numbers already assigned to the 876 area code will remain.

The new dialling format will require placing a three-digit area code (876 or 658) before any seven-digit fax or telephone number. When dialling toll-free numbers, remove the ‘1’ from the beginning of the number, to maintain the new 10-digit standard.

   Previous Format                           

Regular number:  968-6053

Toll-free number: 1-888-225-5687

10-Digit Format

Regular number:  876-968-6053

Toll-free number: 888-225-5687

Seven-digit dialling will be allowed during a grace period, which ends on October 30, this year. After this period, only calls that adhere to the new 10-digit dialling standard will be successful.

For more information, please contact the:

Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR)

36 Trafalgar Road

Kingston 5

Telephone: 876-968-6053, 1-888-CALL-OUR (2255-687)

Fax: 876-929-3635

Website: http://www.our.org.jm

Email: consumer@our.org.jm