This configuration remained in place until 1995, when resource pressure from the proliferation of cell phones, fax machines, and pagers, required additional central office prefixes and telephone numbers. Most of the region outside the Seattle and Tacoma areas was split from 206 to form a new numbering plan area with area code 360.
The existing telephone system remained in use until 1995 when increased demand for phone lines due to cell phones, fax machines, and pagers led to the need for additional prefixes and numbers. Most of the region outside Seattle and Tacoma was divided from 206 to create a new area code, 360.