Press Release

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today took another step toward slowing the proliferation of area codes by ordering four telephone companies to return approximately 70,000 inactive and unused telephone numbers. The four companies are 2^nd Century Communications, Inc. of Tampa, FL, Fairpoint Communications of Dodge City, KS, Net Tel Communications, Inc. of Washington D.C., and Tern Wireless of Stroudsburg, PA.

"The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as part of its efforts to conserve numbers, 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," said PUC spokeswoman Cyndi Page. "Since the FCC gave state commissions the authority to reclaim numbers, the PUC has moved quickly. Since February, the PUC has ordered the return of 310,000 unused phone numbers," she added.

NXX codes are the first three digits of a phone number following the area code. Each one contains approximately 10,000 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, ensuring the more efficient use of numbers. The NANPA is the FCC unit responsible for distributing area codes.

The PUC has ordered 2^nd Century Communications to return unused and inactive telephone numbers in the 769 and 789 NXX codes of the 267 area code. Fairpoint Communications has been ordered to return the 704 and 856 NXX codes in the 724 area code and Net Tel Communications is to return the 350 NXX code in the 484 area code. Tern Wireless is to return the 914 NXX code in 484 area code and the 418 NXX code in the 570 area code.

The rapid proliferation of area codes in Pennsylvania and across the country is a result of telecommunications companies having to operate within an outdated telephone network structure. Companies can receive numbers only in blocks of 10,000 whether they have 100 or 9,000 customers. Once the 10,000 numbers are given to a telecommunications carrier they are unavailable for assignment to another carrier.

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

Docket Nos. : M-0001373F.018, M-0001373F005, M-0001373F004, M-0001373F023