PROVIDENCE – So, how long has Rhode Island had its ubiquitous 401 area code? The answer is since January 1947. It was one of the 86 original area codes assigned by AT&T, then the dominant ...

So, how long has Rhode Island had its ubiquitous 401 area code? The answer is since January 1947. It was one of the 86 original area codes assigned by AT&T, then the dominant telephone company ...

Each area code includes 800 prefixes (the three digits in the middle of the phone number), and the 401 area code currently has 225 prefixes available to be assigned, according to NANPA.

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Despite an increased demand for numbers as mobile device usage rises, estimates show that Rhode Island has enough seven-digit variations within the 401 area code to last 30 years.