Press Release

PUC to Review Area Code Relief Planner’s Forecasted Exhaustion of 717 and 814 Area Codes

Published on 11/8/2011

Filed under: Telecommunications

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today announced it will review the recently published forecasted exhaustion dates for all Pennsylvania area codes to determine further actions.  The projected forecasts are prepared by the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) and released by the Federal Communications Commission in October 2011. 

The chart displaying the forecasted exhaustion is available on the NANPA website.  “NeuStar Inc.” (Neustar) is the neutral third party Number Planning Area (NPA) relief planner for Pennsylvania and provides the Commission with updated forecast dates every six months.  Based on the new data, the forecasted exhaust dates have changed for the currently pending relief plans for the 717 and 814 NPAs.  The projected exhaust date for the 717 area code has been extended from the previously reported date of the third quarter of 2012 to the fourth quarter of 2016.  The 814 area code has also been extended from the previously reported exhaust date of the first quarter of 2015 to the first quarter of 2016.

“We are pleased with the recent announcement from NANPA that the forecasted exhaust dates for 814 and 717 area codes continue to be pushed back into the future.  The number conservation measures implemented in the 814 area code, including 1,000-block pooling, appear to be working,” said Vice Chairman John F. Coleman Jr.  “At the same time, we are under an obligation to provide timely area code relief as needed in the 814 and 717 NPAs.   Therefore, we will take formal Commission action concerning these matters at an upcoming regularly scheduled Public Meeting.”      

In June 2009 Neustar filed a petition recommending an overlay in 814.  The Commission reviewed historical and forecasted data on current numbering resources and comments received from the public through hearings and written submissions. During the time period from June 2009 until December 2010, the PUC received input from the public providing various comments supporting both the geographic split and overlay options available to the Commission. Therefore, on Dec. 16, 2010, the PUC approved a plan to split the 814 area code along geographic boundaries to avoid running out of phone numbers, creating a new area code for customers in portions of northwestern Pennsylvania.  Neustar chose 582 as the new area code for the Northwestern part of PA.

The Commission has since reopened the record on the case and is currently reviewing more than 40 petitions for reconsideration, and testimony received during additional technical conferences and public input hearings. Relief alternatives include an overlay of a new area code and various geographic splits of the existing area code running east to west, north to south or northeast to southeast.  A Frequently Asked Questions fact sheet and map of the proposed 814/582 exchanges are available on the PUC website.

Neustar also petitioned the PUC in October 2009 on behalf of Pennsylvania’s telecommunications industry because the 717 area code is projected to run out of telephone numbers. New area codes are needed when existing area codes exhaust their supply of “NXX” codes (which is the second set of three digits in a 10-digit telephone number, NPA-NXX-XXXX). Six relief alternatives are suggested for ensuring adequate number resources. The alternatives include an overlay of a new area code and various geographic splits of the existing area code. More specifics on the different plans can be found the PUC’s website – PUC Order.  The Commission held a number of public input hearings in the affected 717 region and a decision is currently pending.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities to ensure safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protect the public interest; educate consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; further economic development; and foster new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

 For recent news releases, audio of select Commission proceedings or more information about the PUC, visit our website at www.puc.state.pa.us.

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Docket Nos. P-2009-2112925; P-2009-2136951

Contact:

• Denise McCracken
  Senior Communications Specialist
  717-787-5722
  demccracken@pa.gov