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Florida Keys Get 10-Digit Dialing, Like It Or Not

Christopher
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Flickr/Creative Commons

The Florida Keys like to consider themselves as a place apart from mainland South Florida. But starting this weekend, life on the island chain will be just like Miami-Dade in one way. 

Keys business and tourism leaders fought against 10-digit dialing when it was first proposed for the island chain. They said it would make it harder for visitors and customers to reach them.

The state agreed in 2005 to delay the change for as long as possible. The Keys held out for 10 years, but they’ve finally reached the end of the road for seven-digit dialing.

Starting on Saturday – at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, to be precise – residents of the Keys no longer have a choice. They have to dial 10 digits to make a phone call, just like people in Miami-Dade and Broward have been doing for years.

The 305 area code is “exhausted,” according to state officials from the Public Service Commission.

New phone numbers in the Keys will now receive the 786 area code, just like Miami-Dade. If you dial seven digits, the call will not go through.

Nancy Klingener was WLRN's Florida Keys reporter until July 2022.
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