Comments on Draft Decision
The draft decision of ALJ Thomas R. Pulsifer in this matter was mailed to the parties in accordance with Pub. Util. Code § 311(g) and Rule 77.7 of the Rules of Practice and Procedure. Comments were filed on ______ and reply comments were filed on ________.
1. Pursuant to D.99-07-027 and D.99-12-049, geographic split relief plans were approved by the Commission for the 760 and 707 NPAs, respectively.
2. Under the adopted implementation schedule, permissive dialing of the new area code for Phase 1 of the 707 NPA relief plan is currently scheduled to begin on December 2, 2000, with mandatory dialing to begin on June 2, 2001 and to end on September 8, 2001.
3. In the case of the 760 NPA, permissive dialing of the new area code is currently scheduled to begin on October 21, 2000. Mandatory dialing is scheduled to begin on April 14, 2001, and to end on July 21, 2001.
4. By FCC Order dated September 15, 1999, the Commission was granted additional delegated authority to implement various number conservation measures intended to extend the life of existing NPAs while deferring the need to create new area codes.
5. The implementation schedules for the 707 and 760 NPA relief plans were adopted based upon industry forecasts of code exhaustion that did not take into account the actual use of numbering resources in those NPAs or number conservation measures pursuant to the FCC delegated authority.
6. If the currently adopted implementation schedules for the 707 and 760 NPA geographic splits are not deferred, the new area codes would go into effect before the potential for number conservation measures could be used to extend the lives of the existing NPAs.
7. Sufficient time exists to provide an opportunity to determine the need for additional NPAs and the impact on the life of the 707 and 760 NPAs of more efficient numbering resource utilization without triggering NXX code exhaustion.
1. Particularly in view of the proliferation of new area codes in recent years, the need for adding new area codes should be assessed and the potential for using all available number conservation measures should be explored to maximum advantage before assuming that another new area code is the only remedy available.
2. The currently adopted implementation schedules for the 707 and 760 NPA geographic splits should be deferred pending a further determination of the potential of available number conservation measures whether there is a need to implement new NPAs in those areas and assessment on the lives of the existing NPAs.
3. The filing of comments in response to the ALJ ruling provides parties an adequate opportunity pursuant to Section 1708 to set forth the basis for any objections they have to the proposed deferral of the NPA split plans without evidentiary hearings.
4. There is good cause for modifying D.99-07-017 and D.99-12-049 to reflect a deferral of the implementation schedule for the previously adopted NPA relief plans, as ordered below.
IT IS ORDERED that:
1. The previously adopted implementation for the 707 Number Plan Area (NPA) relief plan as adopted in D. 99-12-049 is hereby suspended.
2. Carriers are directed to suspend further activities to implement the 707 NPA relief plan and to reverse any applicable switch translations that have already occurred. Decision (D.) 99-12-049 is modified to reflect the suspension of the implementation schedule.
3. The previously adopted implementation for the 760 NPA relief plan as adopted in D.99-17-017 is hereby suspended.
4. Carriers are directed to suspend further activities to implement the 760 NPA relief plan, and to reverse any applicable switch translations that have already occurred. D.99-17-017 is modified to reflect the suspension of the implementation schedule.
5. Carriers serving the 707 and 760 NPAs shall promptly prepare and mail new notices to customers in those NPAs, but no later than 30 days from the effective date of this order, informing them of the indefinite deferral of the previously schedule area code splits.
6. A further assessment shall be made concerning the projected remaining life of the existing 707 NPAs after reviewing the code utilization data due from carriers on June 1, and after assessing the prospects for number pooling in the 57 rate centers that are LNP capable.
7. A further assessment shall be made concerning the projected remaining life of the existing 760 NPA after reviewing the code utilization data due from carriers on February 1, 2001, and after assessing the prospects for other available number conservation measures to extend the life of the existing NPA.
This order is effective today.
Dated , at San Francisco, California.
