500 Area Code
Personal communications services (one-number follow-me / PCS)
The 500 area code is reserved for special services (Non-Geographic Services). Numbers in it are used for personal communications services such as one-number follow-me forwarding.
How 500 is used
Numbers in 500 are used for personal communications services such as one-number 'follow-me' arrangements that ring through to whichever phone the subscriber chooses. The called party (the subscriber) pays for the call, while the calling party is billed at standard long-distance rates, making 500 effectively the inverse of a toll-free number. All 5YY codes share the same purpose and the same pool of central-office assignments.
- Purpose
- Personal communications services (one-number follow-me / PCS)
- Assignee
- NANPA on behalf of the FCC
- Dialed as
- 1-500-NXX-XXXX
History
Creation: Area code 500 was the first 5YY non-geographic NPA, designated by the FCC in 1993 and placed into service on May 19, 1994, with the first central-office codes assigned by Bellcore on August 10, 1994. AT&T launched a 'True Connections' follow-me service on the code in 1995 before discontinuing it in 2000, as caller-paid 500 numbers struggled to compete with toll-free 800 numbers. As demand outgrew the original code, NANPA later activated 533, 544, 566, 577, 588, 522, 521, 523, 524, 525, 526, 527, 528 and 529 to share the same 5YY pool.
Mnemonics: Prior to 1995, the middle digit of area codes was restricted to 0 or 1, which do not correspond to letters on a phone's dialing pad. Because 500 contains 0 or 1, it has no mnemonic letter equivalent.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_communications_service_(NANP), www.nanpa.com/numbering/5xx-nxx-codes.
Other special-use area codes
Same-category codes first, then the rest of the NANP special-use portfolio.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is area code 500 used for?
500 is a special-use area code in the North American Numbering Plan. The 500 area code is reserved for special services (Non-Geographic Services). Numbers in it are used for personal communications services such as one-number follow-me forwarding.
How is 500 dialed?
Numbers in 500 are dialed as a full ten-digit number (1-500-NXX-XXXX). It is a non-geographic area code, so 1-500 numbers are not tied to any city or state.
Who assigns 500 numbers?
NANPA on behalf of the FCC
When did area code 500 go into service?
Area code 500 was placed into service on May 19, 1994. It was the 1st 5YY non-geographic area code.