The Maine Public Utilities Commission says the state will hold onto its single phone area code – 207 – for several years longer than previously expected.

Expansion to a second area code in Maine is now not expected to take place until 2036.

The commission says it’s been monitoring conditions for several years as the number of phone service providers has increased and the state was once expected to need an additional area code this year.

“The Commission is very active in a number of conservation efforts, working with companies to ensure they get the telephone numbers they need, while asking other companies to return numbers they don’t need,” said Public Utilities Commission Chair Philip L. Bartlett II.

“Our team has been working collaboratively with phone companies, the Federal Communications Commission, the North American Numbering Council (NANC), and the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) on strategies to extend the entire numbering system, not just Maine.

Maine is one 11 states with a single area code. The others are Alaska, Delaware, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wyoming.

According to the FCC, the total societal cost of expanding the universe of numbering resources would be as much as $270 billion and would require adding two additional digits to all telephone numbers nationwide.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission says it’s continuing to work collaboratively with officials in other states to share best practices. New Hampshire’s 603 area code, which is also in danger of exhaustion, has seen its forecast extended by nearly two years from 2027 to 2029.

The next update from NANPA on area code exhaust dates will be April 2025.