Press Release

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today took another step toward slowing the proliferation of area codes by ordering Arbros Communications to return approximately 10,000 inactive and unused telephone numbers.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as part of its number conservation measures, gave state commissions the authority to reclaim a NXX code in a given area code that has not been assigned to a customer in six months. NXX codes are the first three digits of a phone number following the area code. Each one contains approximately 10,000 phone numbers.

The PUC has ordered the return of unused and inactive telephone numbers in the 506 NXX code of the 267 area code. Arbros Communications is based in Silver Spring, Md.

The rapid proliferation of area codes both here and across the country is a result of telecommunications companies having to operate within an outdated telephone network structure. Currently companies can receive numbers only in blocks of 10,000 whether they have 1,000 or 9,000 customers. Once the 10,000 numbers are given to a telecommunications carrier they are unavailable for assignment to another carrier.

"Once all the numbers are assigned to carriers a new area code must be created, even though a vast majority of the telephone numbers are not assigned to customers," said Eric Levis, PUC press secretary. "Because of this antiquated system and the growth of competition among telephone providers, Pennsylvanians will have approximately 90 million telephone numbers for 12 million residents by the end of 2001."

Levis said that once the FCC gave state commissions the authority to reclaim numbers, the PUC moved quickly. Earlier this month the PUC ordered the return of 20,000 unused phone numbers.

By reclaiming the unused telephone numbers in blocks of 10,000 numbers, the PUC is able to return the blocks to the North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), who can then reassign the numbers to another carrier. The NANPA is the FCC unit responsible for distributing area codes.

For recent news releases, or more information about the PUC, visit our Internet homepage: http://puc.paonline.com.