December 14, 2022
Beginning October 24, 2021, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has mandated that all phone calls in Alaska use the full 10-digit phone number, including area code. This means all Alaskans, regardless of their service provider, will need to dial 907 before seven-digit phone numbers even when making a local phone call.Now is a great time to update your contacts, and reprogram any call forwarding to lead with 907.
To learn more, visit the State of Alaska website.
Are you a GCI Business customer? Download the business phone 10-digit dialing self-assessment.
10-Digit Dialing FAQs
What is 10-digit dialing?
Ten-digit dialing means that you need to dial all 10 digits of a phone number, including the area code. It doesn’t matter if the call is local or not. For example, if you currently dial 444-4444 to reach a local number, after 10-digit dialing goes into effect, you will need to dial 907-444-4444. This applies to wireless and landline calls.
Why did Alaska switching to 10-digit dialing?
The FCC recently adopted 988 as a fast and easy-to-remember way to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Because Alaska used 988 as a dialing prefix (i.e., 907-988-xxxx), the FCC mandated that Alaska switch to 10-digit dialing to prevent calls to 988 prefix numbers from being routed to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by mistake. GCI made the switch to 10-digit dialing in accordance with this FCC mandate.
As of July 16, 2022, all Americans can dial 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
When is Alaska switching to 10-digit dialing?
Under the FCC’s mandate, providers like GCI were required to begin phasing in 10-digit dialing beginning October 24, 2021.
GCI mobile phone service in most communities switched to 10-digit dialing on January 18th, 2022. In communities outside of central Alaska, the transition on wireless networks happened over the next several months. GCI landline service converted to 10-digit dialing by community, not all at once, and was completed by July 2022.
What does this mean for my business phones?
It depends. At the least, you will need to update saved local numbers and call forwarding features to the full 10-digit number. Depending on the age and type of your business phone system, you may need complex updates that require a skilled technician.
If I am a GCI Managed Voice customer, will GCI do this work for me?
Yes. If you are a GCI customer all Managed Voice lines will be updated by GCI. No action is required by you. However, if you have additional lines that use a different product, you will still need to update those lines.
How can I determine if my phone system needs complex updates?
Complete this self-assessment and contact your Account Manager. The assessment will help GCI understand what work needs to be done. If necessary, GCI can refer you to a trusted third-party resource to complete the work. In some rare cases, aging phone systems may not be compatible with 10-digit dialing and will need to be replaced.
Does this impact safety systems like fire alarms and security systems?
It depends. 911 calls will not be impacted by 10-digit dialing. However, many fire alarms and security systems in office buildings use an auto-dialer to call a local service provider. The provider determines the appropriate next action. Please contact your fire alarm service company and security system service company to ensure your systems are configured for 10-digit dialing.
Does this impact elevator emergency calls?
Yes. The emergency phone in your elevator will be impacted. If your elevator has an auto-call feature to a local number, it will need to be reprogrammed. Please contact your elevator service company to ensure your system is configured for 10-digit dialing.
Will 911 be impacted by 10-digit dialing?
No, 911 will not be impacted.