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New AT&T contract with new area code

williamsonrg

williamsonrg

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 8, 2004
287
42
Denver, CO
This may be a dumb question, but the folks here at Macrumors are always so helpful (and this is much preferable than actually calling an AT&T store).

I'm moving to Denver shortly from Massachusetts, and I am also planning on switching to AT&T and getting an iPhone. My question is this: can I switch to AT&T now, here in Massachusetts, and be given a Denver phone number, or do I need to wait until I actually move to Denver? I've had a St. Louis phone number for so long now, despite having moved 7 times, that I'm not really sure how that works.

Thanks in advance for any help from folks who have experience with this.
 
williamsonrg said:
This may be a dumb question, but the folks here at Macrumors are always so helpful (and this is much preferable than actually calling an AT&T store).

I'm moving to Denver shortly from Massachusetts, and I am also planning on switching to AT&T and getting an iPhone. My question is this: can I switch to AT&T now, here in Massachusetts, and be given a Denver phone number, or do I need to wait until I actually move to Denver? I've had a St. Louis phone number for so long now, despite having moved 7 times, that I'm not really sure how that works.

Thanks in advance for any help from folks who have experience with this.
Click to expand...


I believe you can get any area code you want...
 
The OP asks pretty much the same question I've been trying to answer...I'm in Boston for the summer but live in Denver and would like a Denver area code when I become a new AT&T customer and get an iPhone on Friday.
 
Why do you need a new area code? It's a mobile phone - shouldn't it have it's own "mobile phone only" area code?
 
You can go ahead and get your phone now before the move. I did something very similar when I used to live in Tucson. I actually changed my phone number before I moved by simply going in to an at&t store. It did require me to change SIM cards, but it wasn't a big issue. It took maybe 5 minutes.

One thing, I would do this on a non-launch day. Otherwise, it will take you hours.
 
izibo said:
You can go ahead and get your phone now before the move. I did something very similar when I used to live in Tucson. I actually changed my phone number before I moved by simply going in to an at&t store. It did require me to change SIM cards, but it wasn't a big issue. It took maybe 5 minutes.

One thing, I would do this on a non-launch day. Otherwise, it will take you hours.
Click to expand...

Great, thanks for the tip. And yeah, I am definitely not going on launch day...

Chundles said:
Why do you need a new area code? It's a mobile phone - shouldn't it have it's own "mobile phone only" area code?
Click to expand...

Right now I have a St. Louis area code, so it'd be long distance for anybody in Denver to call me. This is less of an issue than it would have been 5 years ago, thanks to the ubiquity of cellphones and the popularity of VOIP, but still, just easier that way.

acousticbiker said:
The OP asks pretty much the same question I've been trying to answer...I'm in Boston for the summer but live in Denver and would like a Denver area code when I become a new AT&T customer and get an iPhone on Friday.
Click to expand...

New England expats, living in Denver!

(Though I've only lived here for 2 years, so I can't consider myself a New Englander. Mostly because I root for the Cardinals, not the Red Sox, and I speak properly ;))
 
Yes, its a very easy process, all you have to do is call an 800 number. Just go to wireless.att.com and search 'moving' to find the number.
 
Chundles said:
Why do you need a new area code? It's a mobile phone - shouldn't it have it's own "mobile phone only" area code?
Click to expand...

Unlike most of the rest of the world, there aren't "mobile only" area codes in the U.S. Your mobile number typically just gets the same area code as that for the landlines in the geographic region in which you live.
 
WildCowboy said:
Unlike most of the rest of the world, there aren't "mobile only" area codes in the U.S. Your mobile number typically just gets the same area code as that for the landlines in the geographic region in which you live.
Click to expand...

Oops, didn't see that he was from Australia when he said that. My apologies for my Amero-centric worldview.
 
williamsonrg said:
New England expats, living in Denver!

(Though I've only lived here for 2 years, so I can't consider myself a New Englander. Mostly because I root for the Cardinals, not the Red Sox, and I speak properly ;))
Click to expand...

Well, I guess I should disclose that I'm originally from Chicago and am a cautiously optimistic Cubs fan.

So, when I go into the Boston AT&T store will I be able to request a Denver area code? Do you guys think the Apple store will be able to do something like this?
 
Be sure to look into the cell phone tax rates in the two states - your taxes are based on your area code. I wish I lived somewhere without a >20% tax rate on cell phone plans (before carrier fees).

edit: apparently each carrier uses a different method of determining what state to tax you in.
 
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