Confusion Greets New 562 Area Code

The new 562 area code took effect Saturday in three Orange County cities bordering Los Angeles County, causing a bit of confusion for some callers.

Those dialing into Los Alamitos, Seal Beach and La Habra are being given a six-month grace period, which means that their calls will still be connected if they use the old 310 area code.

But Pacific Bell officials said people using long-distance carriers or calling from businesses with independent telephone networks might not be able to get through unless they dial the 562 area code.

“This is very typical when you have an area-code change,” said Linda Bonniksen, a spokeswoman for Pacific Bell.

Bonniksen said many companies are using older telephone equipment that doesn’t work with Bell’s automatic switching network, which normally transfers appropriate 310 numbers to the 562 area.

Residents should not have a problem calling during the grace period, she said. Police in the three cities said no problems were reported.

But Seal Beach resident Margaret Williams, 71, said her nephew from the Bay Area was initially unable to reach her Saturday.

“He said he kept [getting] a recording that said the call couldn’t be completed,” Williams said.

The Public Utility Commission approved the new area code last year, citing the rapid depletion of available phone numbers as more and more people use fax machines, pagers and home computers.