New area code beginning Monday: 849

SANTO DOMINGO. Beginning on Monday, 15 February 2010, a new area code goes into effect for the Dominican Republic in addition to the 809 and 829 already in use. This will be the 849 area code, according to an announcement by Jose Rafael Vargas, the head of the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (INDOTEL).

The new area code was solicited from the United States authorities that administer these number because 829, which entered into service in 2005, has been used up.

Beginning that year, the nation has had a growth in phones, especially mobile phones, to such a point that today the percentage of the population with phone service is more than 97%. "This is not an issue of inefficiency or of excessive growth, but rather the way we are going is what moves us to ask for the new area code," explained Joelle Exarhakos, the executive director of Indotel.

Graduation

Vargas and Exarhakos spoke during the graduation of 201 young men and women from the Enterprising Youth Technology program (Juventec) in the areas of assembly, repairs and computer maintenance, web design, Java and other areas. The program is carried out by Infotep, ITLA and Indotel.