Current Area Code Activity in California

310 area code - The Commission is aggressively enforcing number conservation measures in the 310 area code, requiring phone companies to submit data proving they need numbers, and using a number pool and a lottery to issue them. Despite our efforts, though, the 310 area code has very few numbers left. Absent FCC permission to implement a unique area code for specific technologies (like cell phones), the 310 area code is facing a future split. Half the area would keep the 310 area code and the other half would get the new, 424 area code.

The Commission held public meetings in Carson, Redondo Beach and Culver City in April 2001 to receive another round of comments regarding where the new area code should be placed and if the boundary line should be changed. The Commission will decide soon when to implement the split and whether it should change the previously-determined split line, which would split the current 310 area generally at Imperial Highway and place the new area code in the South Bay.

Number pooling - number pooling allows California to issue phone numbers to phone companies in blocks of 1,000 numbers, rather than the old practice of issuing 10,000 numbers at a time. It has been very successful in slowing down the rate which California's phone number supplies are used. California has implemented number pooling during the year 2000 in area codes:

310 -- Los Angeles South Bay

415 - San Francisco

714 - Orange County

909 - Riverside and San Bernardino Counties

The Commission plans on extending number pooling this year to the following:

323 - Los Angeles August 25

408 -- San Jose May 12

510 -- Oakland June 29

562 - Long Beach November 24

619 - San Diego October 27

650 - San Mateo June 8

858 - Northern San Diego December 29

916 -- Sacramento July 28

925 - Walnut Creek September 29

Number Utilization Studies

The state Legislature has directed the Commission to study number usage in all area codes in the state to determine what numbers can be used in a number pool and what area codes may require other conservation measures. So far, studies have been completed and can be accessed from our website at http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/static/industry/telco/index.htm. They cover the following area codes:

310 818

323 909

415 916

510 925

562

July 17, 2001