Just one week after announcing 10-digit local dialing in British Columbia, the CRTC has authorized telecom providers to implement a similar system in the province of Alberta.

As population swells in the western provinces, and an increasing number of residents carry cellular phones, 7-digit numbers in Alberta’s 403 and 780 area codes are on the verge of running out. The CRTC has decided that creating a whole new area code (587) for new landline and cell phone customers is less trouble than carving up existing regions to add a third prefix.

The result is that, beginning on September 12, 2008, Alberta customers will need to specify area code even on local calls. After that date, 7-digit dialing will no longer work, and customers setting up a new telephone account could be assigned a number with the 587 prefix.