B.C. to get new 672 area code starting next year

A person uses a cell phone in this stock image.

Canada's telecommunications regulator has announced B.C. is getting a new 672 area code.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission says the new code is needed because the existing 604, 778, 250 and 236 area codes are expected to be filled with phone numbers by April 2021.

The 672 code is expected to go into effect in May of next year.

The CRTC says that should give phone companies enough time to put the new area code into rotation before the province runs out of phone numbers.