The southern half of the state would soon follow. With a similar proliferation of cell phones, especially in and around Wichita, the KCC requested relief for area code 316. On September 21, 2000, the NANPA split off most of southern Kansas and gave it the new 620 area code, which now completely surrounds 316, making it one of the six pairs of doughnut area codes in the numbering plan. 620 began its split on February 3, 2001; permissive dialing of 316 continued across southern Kansas until November 2, 2001.