Area code 284 is the telephone area code in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) for the British Virgin Islands (BVI). The numbering plan area (NPA) was created in a split of the Caribbean numbering plan area on 1 October 1997. A permissive dialing period, during which the old area code could still be dialed, ended on 30 September 1998. Existing central office codes and line numbers were unaffected by the change of area code. New exchanges established after the in-service date, were required to be dialed with the new area code.