More than 100 “phone rate centers” in Maine are being consolidated in an effort to stretch the limits of the 207-area code.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission approved the consolidation Tuesday, which will combine 135 rate centers into one.

The change should free up thousands of phone numbers in the 207-area code. Rate centers, which help phone companies calculate call distances and costs, are generally associated with the three digits that follow the area code. The rate centers usually are separated by local or municipal boundaries.

The consolidation effects the 135 phone rate centers of Maine’s largest telecommunications provider, Consolidated Communications Northern New England. It’ll combine the calling areas into a one company-wide rate center.

The change will delay the need for a second area code in Maine by more than 12 years from now. Previously, The North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) had told the Commission that Maine would need a new area code by the third quarter of 2024

“This is by far the most significant step to date in our efforts to preserve Maines beloved area code,” said Maine Public Utilities Commission Chair Philip L. Bartlett II. “Previous efforts by the Commission have resulted in an extension of eight years from the predicted exhaust date. This effort could potentially extend that date for decades.”

Maine is one of a dozen state that still only have one area code. The other are Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming