Press Release

HARRISBURG, Pa. – The state Public Utility Commission (PUC) today modified the implementation schedule of two new area codes in southeastern Pennsylvania, a move that will save consumers the inconvenience of dealing with six area codes in their region.

The two area codes, 445 and 835, were scheduled to be activated on May 1 as overlays onto the existing 215/267 and 610/484 area codes.

"Nationally collected data shows that approximately 95 percent of the phone numbers in 267 and 97 percent of the numbers in 484 are still available," said PUC Commissioner Nora Mead Brownell. "With that availability, there’s absolutely no reason why two more area codes should be added at this time."

An area code contains about 8 million phone numbers. That means that about 7.6 million and 7.7 million numbers in 267 and 484 are still available to be assigned to customers.

Today’s suspension will remain in effect until the majority of the phone numbers in the current area codes are used. At this time it is unclear exactly how long the available numbers in the current area codes will last.

"Ideally, the new area codes won’t have to be activated for at least a couple of more years," said Brownell. "We’re fully aware of the headaches new area codes present to customers. The PUC is taking all of the steps that we can to make sure the telecommunications companies use their existing numbers before asking for more."

Last month the PUC started reclaiming unused blocks of 10,000 phone numbers that have been allotted to telecommunications companies but have not been assigned to customers in more than six months. Nearly 30,000 inactive numbers have been reclaimed from the 267 area code and will be reassigned to companies that need them.

The PUC will also begin a pooling trial in the 610/484 region beginning on April 27. The pooling trial requires telecommunications companies to return unused numbers in blocks of 1,000. Companies wanting additional numbers would then be assigned blocks of 1,000 numbers from the pool. The pooling trial will not have any immediate impact on consumers. But it will use the present area codes more efficiently.

The PUC does not regulate the actual assignment of telephone numbers to telecommunications companies. The North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), an agent of the Federal Communications Commission, handles that responsibility. NANPA projects when an area code will run out of numbers and then assigns a new code.

The PUC, however, has the authority to determine if a new area code will be implemented by splitting a current area code or by using an overlay. It can also delay the start of an area code if it determines that numbers are still available in the existing area codes.

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