REPORT ON THE 661 AREA CODE

Like much of the country, California currently is experiencing a numbering crisis. From 1947 to January 1997, the number of area codes in this state increased gradually from 3 to 13. During the next three years, however, the number of area codes in California nearly doubled. By the end of 1999, California had 25 area codes statewide. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) recently implemented several measures intended to ensure efficient use of telephone numbers. Without the implementation of major conservation measures, the telecommunications industry had plans underway to add 22 more area codes in California by the end of 2003, resulting in a statewide total of 47 area codes.

This study recounts the history of the 661 area code, from its creation in 1999 when it was geographically split from the 805 area code. Today, the 661 area code serves portions of Kern and Tulare counties, eastern San Luis Obispo, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, including the cities of Delano, Taft and Bakersfield. Portions of 661 are located in the Bakersfield, Ventura, and Los Angeles Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). This report should be viewed in a broader context than the facts pertaining solely to the 661 area code. The report evaluates the status of number availability in the 661 area code, and discusses the various state and federal policies which govern number use in California and nationwide. In addition, the report analyzes number use by carrier category and identifies what measures the CPUC can employ in the 661 and other area codes to improve efficiency of number use in order to avoid prematurely opening new area codes. Data is self-reported by the companies; the CPUC staff has not audited any 661 utilization data submitted for this study and report.

The utilization study sheds new light on the numbering crisis in the 661 area code. The data reveals that despite increasing demand for numbers, the 661 area code is not fully utilized. The study found that of the 7.74 million useable numbers in the 661 area code, approximately 6.02 million, or 78%, presently are not in use. The data further establishes that the 661 area code possesses considerable room for growth, and thus, aggressive measures such as splits or overlays are not yet warranted in the 661 area code. The report further urges the CPUC to seek from the FCC authority to implement Unassigned Number Porting (UNP) as a means to more efficiently use numbers still available in the 661 area code.

This report is filed in compliance with CPUC Decision (D.) 99-12-051, and with AB 406, enacted by the California Legislature in the 1999 legislative session. (Chapter 99-809, 1999.) AB 406, codified as Public Utilities Code Section 7937, requires the CPUC to obtain historical telephone number use data from every telecommunications company in California. The CPUC's Telecommunications Division (TD) first obtained and analyzed data from the 310 area code in Los Angeles late in 1999, and produced a utilization report on the 310 area code in March 2000. In November 2000, TD completed utilization reports covering the 415, 510, 818, and 909 area codes, and in March 2001 TD completed utilization reports covering the 408, 619, 650, and 714 area codes. TD released another four utilization reports in May 2001 covering the 323, 562, 916, and 925 area codes, in July released reports on the 626, 707, 805, and 949, and in October released reports on the 209, 213, 760, and 858 area codes. This report on the 661 area code continues TD's analysis covering specific area code number utilization levels.