The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) announced Tuesday that customers in the 608 area code overlay region may be assigned a number in the 353 area code when they request new service or an additional line.

According to information released by the PSC, the change will go into effect beginning Sept. 15. The effected area includes the communities such as Madison, Beloit, Janesville, La Crosse, Middleton, Monroe, Platteville, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, and Wisconsin Dells.

Changes are a response to an anticipated lack of assignable prefixes within the 608 area code region.

Assignable prefixes are anticipated to run out by the first quarter of 2024, if not sooner, the release stated.

The new 353 area code will be used to provide telephone numbers to new customers. All current customers will retain their existing telephone numbers and will continue to dial and receive calls without change, the release noted. 

As stated within the release, following the process established by the commission, the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), the neutral third-party area code relief planner, filed notification of the process to overlay a new area code in June 2022. The process provides additional numbering resources to meet the demand for telephone numbers. NANPA will assign prefixes in the 353 area code once all of the 608 prefixes have been assigned.

An area code overlay adds a second area code to the geographic region served by the existing area code. Therefore, multiple area codes co-exist within the same geographic region. Customers will continue to dial the three-digit area code for all calls to and from telephone numbers with the 608 and 353 area codes. The price of a call will not change due to the overlay. Customers can still dial just three digits to reach 911, as well as 211, 311, 411, 511, 611, 711, 811, and 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, according to the release.