207 Area Code Extended 2.5 Years Amid Maine PUC Efforts

Maine’s phone number conservation efforts are paying off, the Public Utilities Commission said Wednesday. A North American numbering plan administrator's (NANPA) semi-annual review of area code exhaustion dates showed that the state's single area code (207) added 2.5 years to its expected lifespan, the Maine PUC said. The area code is expected to reach exhaustion in 2036. “The Commission is very active in a number of conservation efforts, working with companies to ensure they get the telephone numbers they need, while asking other companies to return numbers they don’t need,” said Chair Philip Bartlett. The Maine PUC is working with telcos, the FCC, NANPA and the North American Numbering Council “on strategies to extend the entire numbering system, not just Maine,” added Bartlett. It wasn’t the first extension for the Maine area code’s exhaustion date. Back in January 2001, the code was expected to expire in 2024.