PUCO Approves Plan to Overlay
a New Area Code Into Ohio's 419 Area
Once Available Numbers Are Exhausted

COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) today approved a plan that will "overlay" a new area code into the existing 419 area code and that will require 10-digit local dialing in the area beginning December 1, 2001. Under the plan, all calls that are currently local will remain local and those that are long distance will continue as such.

In order to acclimate subscribers to the pending changes in local dialing, between December 1, 2000, and November 30, 2001, subscribers will be able to complete local calls by dialing either 10- or 7-digits.

Ten-digit dialing means telephone users will need to dial their area code plus the seven-digit telephone number for all local calls in the future. Under the plan adopted today, customers who have the current 419 area code will be able to keep their current phone numbers, but will need to dial the 419 area code once mandatory 10-digit dialing begins on December 1, 2001

"Area codes were first introduced over 50 years ago. In the event area code exhaust did occur, there were plenty of area codes to assign. However, the unimagined boom in telecommunications services that require telephone numbers has drastically altered the future of area codes ... With the increase in competitive local telephone companies, second lines, pagers, facsimile machines, cellular telephone, and computer modems came an exponential growth in the demand for telephone numbers," the Commission's order states.

"We cannot ignore that additional drain on area codes in Ohio is due to advanced technology," said PUCO Chairman Alan Schriber. The need for area code relief clearly reflects the advent of more competition in the telecommunications industry, the economic growth in Ohio, and Ohio keeping pace with technological innovation (e.g., ATM machines, debit cards etc.). All of these are clearly aspects of development which are consistent with the State's telecommunications policy. Unfortunately, number exhaust is an adverse consequence of the otherwise positive developments."

"After considering the record in this case, including the Planning Team Report, the Commission concludes that the overlay plan is the more appropriate and equitable plan in order to provide the best long-term area code relief for the '419' (area code)," the Commission order states.

"As Ohio's telecommunications needs and technology increase, we all are likely to be dialing ten digits for local calls," said Schriber. "This is a small price to pay for the features and conveniences we'll soon have at our disposal. History shows that telephone users have demonstrated an ability to adapt well to changes in dialing patterns."

Telephone numbering in the U.S., Canada, and the U.S. territories of the Caribbean is designed and administered according to the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). The NANP administrator, which outlines the procedures and protocols for the assignment of area codes, estimates that the existing 419 area code will exhaust its supply of three-digit prefixes in the first quarter of 2002.

The 419 area code serves at least some customers in the following Ohio counties: Williams, Ottawa, Fulton, Lucas, Defiance, Henry, Wood, Sandusky, Erie, Paulding, Putnam, Hancock, Seneca, Huron, Lorain, Van Wert, Allen, Hardin, Wyandot, Crawford, Richland, Ashland, Holmes, Medina, Wayne, Mercer, Auglaize, Darke, Shelby, Marion, Morrow, and Logan.

In 1998, after monitoring the area code relief processes that had taken place in Ohio over the past several years, the PUCO implemented a standardized process to handle future area code relief. As part of that process, the Commission adopted a procedure which involved: 1) opening an investigation 24 months prior to the projected exhaust of prefixes in an area code; 2) convening a planning team of telecommunications industry and PUCO staff, required to solicit input from affected communities; 3) submission by the planning team to the Commission of all proposed options and holding public hearings for public input on the proposed options; 4) and issuing an order adopting an area code relief plan no later than six months after the options are presented.

Since June 1999, a 419 Planning Team comprised of representatives of the telephone industry and PUCO staff has considered a number of issues and has developed five proposed plans that address state and national guidelines for the relief of the current 419 area code. These five proposals were presented to the Commission for consideration in December 1999. Four proposed plans would have created geographic divisions within the existing 419 area code and one proposal would overlay a new area code into the existing 419 area code. A geographic split is a plan that separates the existing area code into two distinct but smaller geographic area. One area would be assigned the new area code and one would retain the existing area code. With an overlay plan the new area code is layered on top of the existing area code in the same geographic area. With their geographic split proposals, the Planning Team did not make recommendations about which side of a geographic split plan should receive a new area code, and which side would retain the existing 419 area code.

In considering the proposals, the 419 Planning Team sent more than 300 letters seeking input from all mayors, county commissioners and regional planning commissions in the 419 area code. A meeting was held in Columbus this past September for the purpose of seeking input from these public officials regarding the proposed plans. Ten organizations were represented. In addition, five public hearings were held within the 419 area code in Toledo, Defiance, Lima, Tiffin and Mansfield. Sworn, public testimony concerning the addition of a new area code in the 419 area has been included and considered as part of the record in this case.

Five new area codes have been added in Ohio during the past four years (234, 330, 440, 740 and 937) due to the exhaustion of the State's then existing 216, 330, 513 and 614 area codes. In any one area code, about eight million different telephone numbers may be assigned.

SOURCE Public Utilities Commission of Ohio