VIII. Area Code Change for Customers of Wireless Carriers

In D.96-08-028, we adopted a policy permitting wireless carriers served by a tandem to retain their existing area code assignment even where wireline carriers serving the same geographic area are subject to an area code change. We adopted this grandfather provision to relieve the burden that would otherwise result whereby customers of wireless carriers would have to physically bring in their telephone equipment to be reprogrammed, or else reprogram it themselves. Customers of wireline carriers, by contrast, do not have to bring in their handsets to their serving carrier for reprogramming when they are subject to an area code change.

The policy of not requiring wireless carriers to change the area code of their customers' numbers assigned to rate centers subject to an area code change contributes to less efficient use of numbering resources. By carrying an area code that is not consistent with the geographic area in which it is located, the wireless customers' phone numbers effectively become stranded and cannot be reassigned to wireline carriers through number pooling or other means. On April 17, 2003, D.03-04-056 was adopted, which implemented a program to phase out the grandfathering of area code assignments for wireless carriers. As noted in
D.03-04-56, however, paging companies were excluded from the requirements regarding the reversal of grandfathering. Accordingly, we shall not require paging companies holding numbers in the 909 area code to change those numbers to the 951 area code. Any references to the requirements of wireless

carriers in this order shall thus exclude paging companies unless otherwise indicated.

Consistent with the policy set forth in the D.03-04-056, all 909 area code numbers assigned to rate centers designated to change to the 951 area code, other than those assigned to paging companies shall be required to take the 951 area code. Wireless carriers, other than paging companies, will not be allowed to grandfather their 909 area code numbers in the new 951 area code.