Picking up the telephone and dialing a phone number is pretty easy.

Monday, July 24, 2000

Picking up the telephone and dialing a phone number is pretty easy.

Confusion arises when changes are made.

That’s exactly what happened to residents of north central Iowa beginning July 9.

In addition to the current 515 area code, they now have an additional area code to remember, 641.

Areas that will keep 515 include Des Moines, Ames, Fort Dodge and Algona; 641 affects residents of Mason City, Charles City, Iowa Falls, Marshalltown, Newton, Centerville, as well as Creston and Osceola. In nearby areas of Mitchell County, the new 641 area code is used.

Lynn Gipple, spokeswoman for Qwest, formerly U S West, explained how the change came about.

"It isn’t that there aren’t enough numbers," Gipple said. "It’s that there aren’t enough prefixes."

Gipple went on to say that each prefix has about 10,000 numbers behind it to be assigned; companies like Qwest are running out because they’re assigning them all the time.

Gipple said it’s important to realize that 8 million numbers are assigned behind each area code; with three area codes that were being used in Iowa, that adds up to 24 million numbers.

The new area code – Iowa’s fourth – is a way to get calls to the appropriate locations; a lot of small towns have numbers that aren’t even being used.

The time period between July 9 and Dec. 3, what Gipple called permissive, is designed to educate customers in affected towns about the changes. The new area code can be used, however, it isn’t mandatory until after Dec. 3.

This is especially necessary for area businesses, where there is an additional expenses involved – changing signs, business cards and stationery.

"It becomes more costly if they are giving things away," Gipple said.

One business that has experienced problems because of the change is Patterson Supply in Collins, Iowa.

Because of the manner in which their catalogs and brochures are printed, they’ve had to change all of them. This has caused them a great deal of frustration.

"We ship all over the United States," Jenny Patterson said, "and we’ll have to change them all."

Another aspect that has Patterson upset is the fact that two towns – Collins and Maxwell – have joined together with all students going to the same school. However, Maxwell has retained the 515 area code, while Collins changed to 641.

"They have only one little town in 641 when they’re only five miles apart," Patterson said. "It’s very irritating."

While she said Patterson Supply hasn’t had any problems as of yet – because 515 still may be dialed – she is concerned about the future.