Welcome to the 368: Alberta's fifth area code to be called into service next spring

Have you heard the 411 on the 368? That's the new area code that will be put into rotation next spring to meet the growing demand for new phone numbers in Alberta.

"The introduction of a new area code creates millions of additional telephone numbers without affecting the existing numbers," Kelly T. Walsh, program manager of the Canadian Numbering Administrator, said Wednesday in a statement.

Starting April 23, 2022, the new prefix will join Alberta's four other area codes — 403, 780, 587 and 825 — that can be assigned to new telephone numbers for customers living anywhere in the province.

The new prefix was first approved by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) in May 2019, with a planned rollout of May 2021. At that time, signs pointed to Alberta running out of phone numbers in March 2022.

This spring, the CRTC approved delaying the implementation date as new calculations showed there were likely enough phone numbers to last until November 2023, according to the Canadian Numbering Administrator.

The 368 area code will be introduced gradually and only used when there is no longer a sufficient supply of numbers with Alberta's existing area codes, the administrator said.

Special numbers such as 211, 311, 411, 611 and 911 will not be affected.

Prior to 1999, when Alberta had fewer than three million people, the province was served entirely by the 403 area code.

But a growing population, combined with the introduction of wireless telephone systems in the 1980s, created a need for more unique phone numbers.

In January 1999, the new 780 area code was applied to the top half of the province. In September 2008, 587 was introduced and 10-digit local dialing became mandatory.

The 825 area code was introduced in 2016.