Background
In its application, NANPA stated that in 1998, it formulated an overlay plan for the 714 area code because of the large demand for the limited supply of telephone numbers. In Decision (D.) 99-03-058, the Commission approved and ordered the implementation of the overlay plan. Due to public controversy regarding this and five other pending area code overlays, in D.99-12-051 the Commission suspended all six overlay plans, and instead ordered the development and implementation of more efficient means of using numbering resources to extend the life of area codes. One of the most effective number conservation measures is thousand-block number pooling.3 Number pooling was implemented in the 714 area code in October 2000, and has been in place since that time. Number pooling and other conservation measures have extended the life of the 714 area code for several years, thus delaying the need for an area code change. However, at this point in time, conservation measures have run their course, and the remaining supply of numbers has dwindled to the point that a new area code must be opened.
In its application, NANPA stated that it used the October 2006 Number Resource and Utilization Forecast (NRUF) report and NPA Exhaust Analysis for the 714 area code, which concludes that the 714 area code will "exhaust"4 in the fourth quarter 2008. Based on this information, Commission staff requested that NANPA convene an Industry Relief meeting on October 3, 2006 to develop and consider new area code change alternatives, which produced six alternative area code plans. Five of the six alternatives consist of area code "splits," which geographically divide an area code into two or more area codes. In a split, one side of a designated line retains the existing area code, while the other side(s) acquires the new area code(s). The other alternative considered was an all-services overlay. The industry representatives reached consensus to propose the overlay and two of the split options (Split Alternative #4 and Split Alternative #6) for public comment. Descriptions of these three proposed area code change options are presented in Attachment A. A map of the 714/657 area code boundaries is presented in Attachment B.5
On March 13, 2007, NANPA submitted its application, on behalf of the California telecommunications industry, requesting that the Commission approve an all-services overlay for the 714 numbering plan area (NPA). The application states that if the Commission does not approve an area code change, the available central office codes for the 714 area code will exhaust in the fourth quarter of 2008. Subsequently, NANPA advised the Commission that exhaust would occur in the second quarter of 2008.
The industry representatives also recommended a 13-month implementation schedule. It allows for a public education period, which is generally described in Attachment D to today's decision. The schedule includes a six-month permissive dialing period, which will allow consumers to use both the old and new dialing procedures within the 714 area code. The mandatory dialing period will begin at the conclusion of the permissive dialing period. The first assignment of telephone numbers with the new 657 area code will occur coincident with the start of the mandatory dialing period. This was reduced from the requested schedule due to the change in exhaust date.
At Commission staff's direction, NANPA served its application on all parties to the local exchange competition proceeding, Rulemaking (R.) 95-04-043/Investigation (I.) 95-04-044. On May 3, 2007, the assigned Administrative Law Judge issued a ruling directing NANPA to serve the application on all cities and counties in the 714 NPA's geographic region and, to the extent not included in the R.95-04-043/I.95-04-044 list, all 714 NPA code and thousand-block holders.6 The ruling also extended the protest period for the application to June 1, 2007. No protests were filed.
3 Thousand-block number pooling is a resource allocation system that divides a prefix or central office code (NXX code), which is a group of 10,000 telephone numbers into ten sequential blocks or groups of 1,000 telephone numbers and allocates telephone numbers in blocks of 1,000. This system allows multiple service providers operating in the same rate area to share the ten thousand-blocks in a prefix at the thousand-block level.
4 An area code reaches "exhaust" when the supply of available central office codes or NXX codes (three-digit prefixes in common parlance) is depleted.
5 Attachment B includes all three maps for the three alternatives.
6 Any future applications for numbering plan relief should be served on cities and counties in the affected area and all code and thousand-block holders.
