New 821 area code coming to Upstate; existing 864 numbers to remain the same. What to know

A new area code is coming to the Upstate.

By next summer, 821 will be added as a prefix to the current 864 area code.

The South Carolina Public Service Commission on Nov. 28 announced the new area code will be assigned to new 10-digit telephone numbers.

All existing customers will retain their 864 area code, said PSC spokesman Rob Bockman.

Bockman said the new code is needed because, in recent years, technology has increased the demand for telephones in homes and offices, cell phones and modem internet access — shortening the availability of numbers that can be assigned.

"Essentially, all numbers possible to be assigned under the old 864 area code have been assigned, necessitating a new area code," Bockman said.

911 and 411 services will not be affected by the new area code, he said.

Counties within the new area code 821 include Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Saluda, Spartanburg and Union.

The Public Service Commission approved the new area code based on the recommendation of the North American Numbering Plan Administrator, which follows rules drafted by the telecommunications industry and approved by the Federal Communications Commission.

The timeline for implementing the new area code will be announced in January, Bockman said.

When 821 is activated, South Carolina will have six area codes. The others are 864 in the Upstate; 803 and 839 in most of central South Carolina; and 843 and 854 in the eastern and coastal areas of South Carolina.

For more information on the North American Numbering Plan Administrator, visit the NANPA website here.

Bob Montgomery covers Spartanburg County politics and growth & development. Reach him via email at bob.montgomery@shj.com.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: New 821 area code coming to Upstate; existing 864 numbers to remain