Hello there: A new area code will be handed out in Alberta next month

Albertans will soon have a new area code to recognize, as demand for new telephone numbers grows. So don’t ignore the calls!

The new 368 area code was announced last October, and will be introduced gradually across the province starting on April 23.

After this date, consumers and businesses requesting a new phone number may receive one with the new area code, according to a news release.

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Numbers with the new 368 area code will only be assigned to customers once there is no longer a sufficient supply of numbers with the existing area codes.

The first area code in Alberta, 403, was introduced in 1947. In 1999, the additional area code 780 was introduced to serve northern Alberta (Edmonton), while the 403 code was retained for southern Alberta (Calgary).

Additional demand led to the area code 587 coming into use in 2008 and 825 in 2016.

So you’ll soon start to see 368 numbers in Alberta. If one pops up on your phone from a random caller, it’s not a call coming from somewhere far or bizarre.