Starting in 2023, New Brunswickers will need to dial 10 digits to make local calls, and a few months later, a second area code will be introduced to the province.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission or CRTC has decided that 10-digit dialing will come into effect on January 20, 2023. This change will pave the way for the CRTC to introduce the 428 area code to New Brunswick in April 2023, when the 506 area code is expected to reach capacity.

The CRTC has delayed the implementation of the new area code twice before, based on projections supplied by telephone companies.

506 has been New Brunswick's only area code since 1955. Once the existing inventory of new 506 numbers is used completely, the 428 area code will be assigned to new customers.