A new area code, 729, will soon join the existing 423 area code serving a portion of Eastern Tennessee.
Approved on May 30, 2023 by the Tennessee Public Utilities Commission, the new area code will ensure residents and businesses have access to a sufficient supply of telephone numbers to serve this area, officials said.
The 423 area code is expected to run out of new numbers in the third quarter of 2025. Existing customers will keep their current telephone numbers, but new customers, or requests for additional lines, may be assigned the new 729 area code once it is activated. Customers will continue to use 10-digit dialing – the area code plus the seven-digit phone number – to make all calls. To reiterate, existing customers will retain their current area code and telephone number.
Phone numbers throughout the United States are governed by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA). NANPA forecasted a need for 423 area code relief in November of 2022. The Tennessee Public Utility Commission opened a comment period in March 2023 and held a public meeting in May of 2023.