Press Release

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) yesterday took another step toward slowing the proliferation of area codes by ordering three telephone companies to return approximately 90,000 inactive and unused telephone numbers. The three companies are Connect.Com of Little Rock, AR, North American Telecommunications of Westbury, NY, and Core Communications, Inc. of Annapolis, MD.

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. 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 North American Telecommunications to return unused and inactive telephone numbers in the 208, 278, 319, 382, 421, 519 and 539 NXX codes of the 267 area code. Connect.Com has been ordered to return the 546 NXX code in the 412 area code and Core Communications is to return the 258 NXX code in the 484 area code.

"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of area codes both here and across the country is a result of telecommunications companies having to operate within an outdated telephone network structure," said Deanne O’Dell, a PUC attorney specializing in telecommunications issues. "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," she added. "By reclaiming numbers, we’re able to ensure the more efficient use of telephone numbers."

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 240,000 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.

Docket No.  M-0001373F.013, M-0001373F.019, M-0001373F.021