CallataGuidesGet a local business phone number in North Reading, MA
North Reading's area code, prefixes and carriers from NANPA records, and how to put a North Reading number in front of your customers.
- Area code
- 978
- Exchanges
- 10NANPA-assigned
- Carriers
- 6
- Population
- 16,379Census 2024 est.
Area codes in North Reading
With 16,379 residents in the Census 2024 estimate, North Reading sits in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. All 10 exchanges NANPA lists for its rate center are in area code 978. 978 is part of an overlay with 351, so a new local number in North Reading may carry any of those codes depending on which have numbers available. North Reading is in the Eastern time zone.
According to NANPA's dialing-plan data, local calls within 978 are dialed as ten digits (area code plus number) and toll calls as 1 plus ten digits.
| Area code | Exchanges here | Share | In service since | Overlay with | Time zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 978 | 10 | 100% | 1997 | 351 | Eastern |
Source: NANPA utilized central office code file and NPA report, dated 10/01/2026.
North Reading exchanges by carrier
6 carriers hold the 10 exchanges assigned to North Reading's rate center. Verizon New England INC. has the most, with 3. 8 of them are pooled codes, which the holder shares with other carriers in blocks of 1,000 numbers. A business number in North Reading can come from any of these blocks; once it is yours, porting lets it move between providers.
| Carrier (NANPA operating company) | Exchanges | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon New England INC. | 3 | 30% |
| Mcimetro Access Transmission Services LLC | 2 | 20% |
| Paetec Itel, LLC | 2 | 20% |
| Comcast Ip Phone, LLC | 1 | 10% |
| Peerless Network of Massachusetts, LLC - Ma | 1 | 10% |
| Level 3 Communications, LLC - Ma | 1 | 10% |
Carrier names are the operating company (OCN) names on NANPA's utilized central office code file dated 10/01/2026. A carrier holding a code may port numbers to other carriers.
Exchanges (NPA-NXX) assigned in North Reading
These are the central office codes NANPA records for North Reading. A caller seeing one of them recognizes a local number. The earliest assignment date recorded in the file for these codes is 2001. None were assigned in 2020 or later.
| Area code | Prefixes (NXX) |
|---|---|
| 978 | 207, 222, 276, 357, 370, 396, 543, 664, 845, 898 |
Source: NANPA utilized central office code file.
How local numbers work in North Reading
What a caller sees as "local" is the area code plus prefix. In North Reading, those come from the NO READING rate center, as recorded by NANPA.
If your business already has a North Reading number, porting it to Callata is free and keeps it on your cards, listings and vehicles.
Who does business near North Reading
North Reading is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, home to 5.0 million people in 2024. County Business Patterns counted 133,807 business establishments in the Boston, MA-NH metro area in 2023, employing 2,681,704 people. The largest sectors by establishment count are professional, scientific, and technical services (17,803), retail trade (15,568), and health care and social assistance (15,127).
| Industry | Establishments | Employees | Employees per establishment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service restaurants | 4,652 | 104,689 | 22.5 |
| Limited-service restaurants | 3,920 | 51,825 | 13.2 |
| Residential remodelers | 3,263 | 11,112 | 3.4 |
| Law offices | 2,967 | 24,707 | 8.3 |
| Landscaping services | 2,876 | 12,494 | 4.3 |
| Dental offices | 2,419 | 19,313 | 8.0 |
| Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors | 2,169 | 22,860 | 10.5 |
| Beauty salons | 2,025 | 10,995 | 5.4 |
Selected small-business industries (six-digit NAICS) covered by these guides. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Business phone service in North Reading
Callata Office costs $99 per month for up to 5 people, and each additional user is $20 a month. That covers up to 3 local numbers, calling from a browser or your cell, transcribed voicemail, recorded calls with AI summaries, after-hours routing and E911 on each number.
Porting a number you already use in North Reading is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.
AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.
The comparison below uses 20 users, the rounded average establishment size in the Boston, MA-NH metro area. At list prices checked September 28, 2026, that is $499.00 a month on Ooma Office Pro and $600.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core. Callata comes to $399.00 a month for 20 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callata (Callata Office) | $99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user | $399.00 | $4,788.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $380.00 | $4,560.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $460.00 | $5,520.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $499.00 | $5,988.00 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $540.00 | $6,480.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $600.00 | $7,200.00 |
Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.
Frequently asked questions
What area code is North Reading, MA?
978. All exchanges NANPA lists for North Reading are in 978.
How many phone companies have exchanges in North Reading?
6, holding 10 exchanges between them, according to NANPA's 10/01/2026 file.
Can I keep my existing North Reading business number?
Yes. Porting an existing number to Callata is free. Texting from it starts after carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee.
How much is a business phone line in North Reading?
Callata is $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user, with up to 3 local numbers; 20 users come to $399.00 a month. For comparison, 20 users on RingCentral RingEX Core list at $600.00 a month (checked September 28, 2026).