Those used to referring to the GTA as simply the “905” versus the “416” will soon have a new figure to factor in the equation — the 365.

The CRTC announced yesterday that the so-called 905 is set to become the first region in Canada to have a third area code. Beginning in 2013, on top of the existing 289 and 905 area codes, regions around Toronto will also have a third: 365.

And, according to the Canadian Numbering Administrator, the “416” — which already has 416 and 647 — will soon follow with a third area code of its own.

According to the CNA, a group that reports to the CRTC and a consortium of phone carriers, the third area code is being added because the “905” region is expected to run out of telephone numbers by March 2014. Rapid growth in the suburban regions and rising use of wireless devices are cited as the reasons.

Each area code has a potential of about 7.5 million unique phone numbers. There are actually more combinations possible than that, but certain numbers, such as those beginning with 911 or 666, for example, are deemed unusable.

Glenn Pilley, director of the CNA, explained that the problem is not that we are running out of unique numbers, but rather that we are running out of central office codes, which make up the first three digits of a seven-digit phone number.

This also explains why the surrounding regions will need a third area code before Toronto does. Central office codes are assigned to separate phone carriers such as Rogers or Bell. But, because the “905” is made up of 200 separate communities, or “local exchanges,” phone carriers need to obtain separate central office codes for each community, regardless if they need them or not. (A phone number in Mississauga, for example, cannot share a central office code with, say, Pickering.)

Toronto, in contrast, is considered one large community, or local exchange. This means carriers burn through central office codes much slower in the city than they do in the surrounding communities.

But not that much slower, says Pilley. Toronto proper will probably need to add a third area code in 2014. But no number has been designated yet.

The new area codes may not do much to change the ingrained habit of referring to the city and suburbs as “416” and “905.” After all, the 289 and 647 area codes were introduced back in 2001 without much impact.

All over the world, cities are referred to by their famous area code. Vancouver, for example, is often simply called the “604,” though it has a second, 778, area code. The rivalry between Edmonton and Calgary’s sports teams is sometimes referred to as a clash between the “780” and “403.”

Such numbers sometimes become a signal of cultural identity or status.

In an old Simpsons episode, Homer is enraged to discover that the town of Springfield has been split into two area codes — one, he believes, for the rich, and one for the poor.

And in the Sex and the City movie, Carrie Bradshaw is distraught after receiving a new cellphone with the area code 347. “Oh no,” she says. “I’m a 917 girl. Always have been.”

Dr. Shauna Brail, of the Urban Studies Centre at University of Toronto, said people associate desirable and undesirable qualities with area codes. Telephone numbers beginning with 647 or 289, for example, may lead to the assumption that the phone’s owner is a newcomer, something businesses or individuals may not want.

There are also deeper cultural connotations, she said. After the Golden Horseshoe was divided into “416” and “905” back in 1993, people began to associate them with different socioeconomic statuses. “I do think people identify their area code and location with some choices around lifestyle, investment and around prosperity.”

“Some of it boils down to choice. People who choose to pay maybe more for a house in the 416 for a smaller space — they’ve chosen where to invest their dollars. They’re also making a choice about transportation costs and about their perception of where’s best to raise their family.” The 416, she added, is also often associated with more liberal political views.

Others, Brail said, may resist a new area code simply because they don’t like change.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

For some, having to remember a new code is just another nuisance. Callers who accidentally get the numbers mixed up and call 356, for example, could accidentally find themselves speaking with someone in New Jersey.

“It seems kind of traumatic to add on a whole new area code, but I think people are resilient and eventually, they do adjust,” she said.

“That being said, I am one of those people who refuses to get a 647 number.”