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	Vol.7, No 11, September 16, 1999
	Assembly bill may reduce area code confusion By Karin Best Daily Forty-Niner A new state Assembly bill may ease the current area code confusion by creating more efficient and effective ways of assigning phone numbers to consumers.  The problem that exists, according to Elena Stern, spokeswoman for Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa, D-Los Angeles, is that a new area code can be added within the same territory as an existing area code and both area codes serve the same geographic area, creating an overlay.  "This bill is a victory for people across California, " Villaraigosa said in a press release. "Consumers and businesses alike expect us to work on common sense solutions to complicated problems, and thatís exactly what AB 406 does."  Area code overlays force neighbors to dial 11 digits to call one another, despite their proximity. "It would be irritating to have to dial so many numbers," said La Toya Moore, a Cal State Long Beach freshman communications major. "I would not even use the phone." The bill, co-authored by Villaraigosa and Assemblyman Wally Knox, D-Los Angeles, requires the California Public Utilities Commission to implement telephone number conservation measures that will allocate numbers to phone companies.  The 310/424 area code overlay would be the first scheduled overlay implementation by the CPUC.  The bill also requires the CPUC to perform a utilization study of the amount of numbers used by the phone companies in an area code before any overlay or split of that area code is approved.    The CPUC will also be required to seek the return of unused numbers from phone companies for redistribution to other carriers. "Passage of AB 406 marks an historic milestone for the hundreds of thousands of residents in Los Angeles, and the millions of people across California facing area code overlays and 11-digit dialing," Villaraigosa said. The CPUC will hold a hearing Sept. 17 to announce its decision on what action may be taken.		CSU raises admission standards Students mingle with employers High Schoolers focus of new bill Bookstore sales up despite Web stores Bill to keep guns from mentally unstable Assembly bill may reduce area code confusion Cultural center celebrates diversity on campus Police need policing Out-of-wedlock birth decline at what cost Mr. Mike comes through Magic wins with 'Thuggin' High school ballers show off their skills Coach Gimmillaro looking forward to challenge Best of the West face-off at USC Fall 99 ISSUES DAILY 49ER HOMEPAGE
Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.