PUCO Approves Plan to Overlay a New Area Code
Into Ohio's 614 Area Code Once
Available Numbers Are Exhausted

COLUMBUS, OH -- The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) today approved a plan that will "overlay" a new area code into the existing 614 area code thereby implementing mandatory 10-digit local dialing in the area beginning September 21, 2002. Under the plan, all calls that are currently local will remain local, while long distance calls will continue as such.

According to the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), the 614 area code is projected to run out of numbers in the third quarter of 2002. The 614 area code serves portions of the following seven counties: Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Pickaway, and Union. Following today's approval of an "overlay" plan, the NANPA will assign a new area code for Central Ohio, which will co-exist with the existing geographic boundaries of the 614 area code. All existing 614 area code subscribers will continue to maintain the 614 area code. Once the phone numbers available in the 614 area code exhaust, telephone numbers in the new area code will be utilized.

In order to acclimate subscribers in the 614 area code to the pending changes in local dialing, subscribers will be able to complete local calls by dialing either 10 or seven digits beginning August 18, 2001 and continuing for at least six months. 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.

"The need for area code relief reflects the advent of rapid technology growth in the telecommunications industry," PUCO Chairman Alan Schriber stated. "As Ohio's telecommunications needs increase, we all are likely to be dialing ten digits for local calls. This is a small price to pay for these technological features and conveniences."

Telephone numbering in the United States, Canada, and the U.S. territories of the Caribbean is designed and administered according to the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). The NANP administrator outlines the procedures and protocols for the assignment of area codes.

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; and 4) issuing an order adopting an area code relief plan no later than six months after the options are presented.

Since August 2000, a 614 Area Code Planning Team comprised of representatives of the telephone industry and PUCO Staff has considered a number of issues and has developed two proposed plans that address state and national guidelines for the relief of the current 614 area code. These two proposals were presented to the Commission for consideration in December 2000. One proposed plan would have established a geographic split of the existing 614 area code and one proposal would overlay a new area code into the existing 614 area code. A geographic split is a plan that separates the existing area code into two distinct but smaller geographic areas. 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. 

In developing the two proposals, the 614 Planning Team sent more than 100 letters seeking input from all mayors, county commissioners, township trustees, and regional planning agencies in the 614 area code. A meeting was held in Columbus in November 2000 for the purpose of seeking input from these public officials regarding the proposed plans. Additionally, two public hearings were held within the 614 area code in Columbus. Sworn, public testimony concerning the addition of a new area code in the 614 area was included and considered as part of the record in this case.

Seven new area codes have been added in Ohio during the past five years (234, 283, 330, 440, 567, 740 and 937) due to the exhaustion of the State's then existing 216, 419 and 614 area codes. In any one area code, about eight million different telephone numbers may be assigned.