Dunwoody and Sandy Springs are among the metro Atlanta cities that will get an additional area code to be used by new phone numbers amid increasing population and growth.
The new 943 area code will join the existing 404, 470, 678 and 770 area codes, according to the Georgia Public Service Commission. Existing phone numbers will not change. The new area code only will apply to numbers on new accounts.
According to the PSC, it’s the first new area code in metro Atlanta since 470 was introduced 10 years ago.
Available numbers using the existing area codes are expected to run out by the second quarter of 2023, the PSC said it was informed by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator, which establishes area codes. The PSC approved the new “overly” area code at an Oct. 6 meeting.
Other cities where new 943 area code will apply include: Alpharetta, Duluth, East Point, Forest Park, Gainesville, Griffin, Lawrenceville, Mableton, Marietta, Peachtree City, Roswell, Smyrna and Tucker.
The new area code will take about nine months to implement and is expected to fill needs for a decade, according to the PSC.
According to the PSC, Georgia’s first area code was 404, which was set in 1947 and covered the entire state. In 1995, 770 was established for metro counties outside the Atlanta city limits. In 1998, 678 was added as an overlay on that area, as was 470 in 2010.