First 516, Then 631, Now 934

The arrival of Suffolk County’s new area code on Saturday means residents need to start thinking twice when making local phone calls, something they seldom, if ever, have had to do.

Current telephone numbers will remain the same, but the implementation of a 934 area code means callers will eventually have to dial 10 digits, even locally within the same area code. Also, devices wired for 7 digits will need to be reset to include all 10. 

Contact lists for automatic dialing will have to be updated to include all 10 numbers, as will business cards, stationery, and so on.

The rollout comes more than a year after the New York State Public Service Commission began the process to address the inevitable exhaustion of 631 codes by the first quarter of 2016. It held a public hearing on alternative strategies last July and in December decided to institute an overlay system, which keeps current numbers as is, but assigns all new lines the 934 code.

The reigning 631 code is the only existing one in the entire county and has identified this part of Long Island since its creation in 1999, when it split from Nassau County’s code, 516. Now, many residents along the East End do not bother to discern an area code when relaying phone messages or giving out their numbers. Often classified ads in newspapers, websites, and voicemails only include a seven-digit number.

In the future, the long-standing, cherished 631 could indicate a position of rank or prominence here. Established residents will be able to spot a newcomer. After Manhattan’s prevailing 212 code had to make room for subsequent 646 and 917 numbers, the original still remains a status symbol among city-dwellers. Marina Van, the executive director of the East Hampton Chamber of Commerce, wasn’t aware of the changeup, but boasted that her cellphone is still equipped with a 516 area code from 1996.

Residents who lived in Suffolk County through the 516 rupture, like Ms. Van, remember the hassle of changing numbers on stationery and business cards. However, since an overlay system simply adds a new number and does not split regions, frustrations should be limited, according to John Bonomo, an AT&T spokesperson.

“You as a resident now, there’s nothing that you would need to do,” he said.

He said that if someone adds a new line, he or she would need to update business cards regardless, so the new area code should not matter.

But the need to dial an area code, even when making a call to a number with the same prefix, may take some getting used to. Resident reactions have been mixed, however.

“I think it’s kind of odd. I mean 934, it seems like a stranger. But 631 always had a good feeling to me,” said Monte Farber of Enchanted World Emporium of East Hampton Village, who wrote a book on numerology.

Mr. Farber explained that regarding 934, 7 becomes the “hidden” number to analyze in numerology since the sum of 9, 3, and 4 equals 16 and the sum of 1 and 6 equals 7. According to Mr. Farber, 7 can symbolize time spent alone before a new debut.

Mary Croghan of the East Hampton Business Service thinks the change will be a nuisance.

“I’m a little familiar with the having to dial with 10 digits,” said Ms. Croghan, who also lived here for the 516 switch. She has family in Boston, which implemented an overlay system in 2001.

“It’s a horror. As a result, to dial across the street, you have to dial 10 digits and it’s a real pain in the neck,” she said. However, upon hearing her number will remain unchanged, she felt relief from her initial “Ah, crap” reaction.

Luckily for the hard-wired fingers used to punching in seven numbers, there is an 11-month grace period to make mistakes. After June 18 of next year, however, a recording will interrupt the call, instructing the caller to hang up and try again.

“The ability to have these short-term memory lists while you’re dialing gets more challenging,” said Nancy Franklin, a psychology professor at Stony Brook University who studies memory. She explained that the new area code serves as one chunk rather than three separate numbers and doesn’t think the change will greatly affect residents. But she added, “People have an attachment and it may feel like a demotion,” referring to those who will receive the new area code.   

Furthermore, equipment or phone settings that are programmed to dial a seven-digit number, such as medical devices, fax machines, Internet dial-ups, cellphone contact lists, or voicemail services, must be reset to fit the new 10-digit requirement.

Mr. Farber later embraced a “bring-it-on” attitude.

“I guess if New York can handle 917 and 646, we can handle 934,” he said.