Area code change halted
By Christine Rhee
Daily Forty-Niner
The California Public Utilities Commission
voted on Sept. 16 to halt the implementation of the proposed West Los Angeles
310 area code overlay and existing 11-digit dialing.
"It is inexcusable that the people of West
Los Angeles and South Bay have been forced to use 11-digit dialing when
there were clearly alternatives to resolve this issue in a fair and logical
manner," said Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa in a press release.
In 1998, the utilities commission adopted
the "overlay" method, in which a new area code is added within an existing
area code. Both of the area codes then serve the same geographic area simultaneously.
Because of the overlay, schools, hospitals,
businesses and residents whose telephone, fax and security systems were
programmed to dial 11-digit dialing are now given the option of dialing
either seven digits or 11. This allows computer modems or other automatic-dialing
equipment programmed to dial all 11 digits without having to be reprogrammed.
The Federal Communications Commission
granted the utilities commissionís petition to order a number conservation
measure that may begin in the next few months.
To issue the numbers more efficiently,
phone companies will advise the utilities commission of how many numbers
are actually being used.
Blocks of unused phone numbers will be
returned from the companies and placed in a pool along with numbers that
have not been issued yet.
The utilities commission or the phone
companies will inform their consumers of the changes brought up by implementation
within the next few weeks. |
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