In mid-April, a new area code will be in effect in Birmingham, Clanton, Pell City, Hamilton, Jasper and Tuscaloosa, according to the Associated Press. The area code was previously 205, but it will now be 659.

The new area code will not replace existing 205 numbers, but it will be assigned to all new numbers in those areas due to the fact that 205 numbers are becoming exhausted.

According to The University of Alabama’s website, 40.1 percent of the University’s 2018 class comes from in-state, and therefore many likely have a 205 number. This will begin to change, however, for future classes.

Despite the change, many UA students don’t see this change as having any major impact on their lives, currently or in the future.

“It will not affect me in any way, and for the people it does affect, it will just be a minor annoyance, if anything, at the most,” said Trevor Hendry, a sophomore majoring in creative media from Mobile, Alabama. “I don’t think it’s going to be a big deal at all.”

Alec Rogers, a sophomore majoring in management information systems from Birmingham, said he will know that a 659 area code phone number is local in the future.

“The idea is not to come and change numbers, so it shouldn’t have a huge impact on most people,” Rogers said. “Right now I see 205 and know that it’s from around here. So now I’ll just know 659 – or whatever it is – is also local.”

According to twilio.com, each area code has a capacity of just under 8 million users. Therefore, when a new area code is added to overlay an existing area, it is because the numbers in that area are reaching their capacity.

AL.com documented the history of area codes in Alabama, and according to the article, while the 205 area code used to cover the whole state, there are now four area codes within the state, not including 659.