After eight months of "permissive dialing" to the region that was assigned the state's new area code, callers must begin using 541 to reach phone numbers outside of northwestern Oregon.

The Oregon Public Utility Commission (OPUC) is encouraging all telephone customers to begin dialing the 541 area code and to reprogram or modify their telecommunications equipment before June 30.

Some of that equipment includes: automatic dialers, FAX machines, call forwarding, speed dialing, computer modems, cellular phones, PBX systems, fire alarms, call detail recording, key systems and customer-owned coin phones.

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Customers affected by the new code also should notify everyone who calls them of the change. Businesses should have revised printed materials and advertising to reflect the new area code.

Because of the increased demand for more telephone numbers statewide, the OPUC was notified in February 1995 that all 792 prefixes allocated for the 503 area code would be depleted by the second quarter of 1996. The 1995 projection was accurate.

Industry leaders and the OPUC spent two months informing customers and receiving feedback concerning the changeover. Statewide, 94 percent of Oregonians polled favored two area codes, and 72 percent recommended assigning the new code outside of the Portland/Salem area.

Joan H. Smith, then the OPUC chairman, said the Commission was aware of the economic impact on those involved in the change.

"We made our decision based on which method would have the least negative effect on Oregon as a whole," Smith said.

Rates will not increase as a result of the change. It is expected that the 541 area code will provide about 15 years of relief, although projections indicate a third area code may be necessary in the state's northwest corner before then.

An important issue the commission considered is the type of area code now available, which does not have a "0" or a "1" as the middle digit. These codes may not be recognized by some existing telephone equipment. Washington and Alabama were the first states to use the new type of code, and there have been some difficulties.

The 360 area code in southwest Washington caused many businesses problems. US WEST and other local exchange carriers have urged customers to be certain their equipment has been updated to recognize the new codes.