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Telecommunications

      
   
Area Code Relief

In recent years, the prevalence of telecommunications technologies in everyday life has increased tremendously.  Many households no longer have a single phone number for the entire family.   Instead, customers often have multiple telephone lines, multiple cell phones and Internet access.  Business customers also have many diverse telephone number needs.  The combined effects of new technologies, new providers requiring their own telephone numbering inventories and the increased demand for telecommunications services in general have strained existing telephone number resources, both in Wisconsin and across the country.  This rapid growth in demand for telephone numbers has resulted, in many places, a condition known as area code “exhaust.”  An area code reaches exhaust when all of the available central office codes within that area code have been assigned.  Area code relief, by means of an overlay or a geographic split, must then be implemented to ensure that an adequate supply of telephone numbers remains available for assignment.

Wisconsin currently has two area codes that are expected to exhaust within the next three years.   Based on the most recent projections, the 715 area code is expected to exhaust in late 2011, while the 920 area code is expected to exhaust in late 2012.  Staff of the Public Service Commission (Commission) has worked to inform the public of the pending relief efforts, to educate the public about the potential relief alternatives and to solicit both public and Industry comments in these proceedings.  In addition, the Commission initiated several number resource optimization measures to conserve Wisconsin’s existing numbering resources in an effort to forestall the need for area code relief.  

The Commission considered the 715 and 920 area code relief dockets (5-TN-100 and 5-TN-106, respectively) at an open hearing on November 6, 2008.  As the Commissioners noted in their deliberations, there is no option for area code relief that pleases everyone.   Both methods of relief, either an overlay or a geographic split, have perceived pros and cons.  However, for the 715 and 920 area codes, the Commission determined that an overlay is the best alternative because it allows for the most efficient use of Wisconsin’s new numbering resources, it minimizes many potential implementation problems and because it does not impose a financial burden on those customers who may have been forced to change their area code.  The North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA) has assigned the 534 area code to overlay the existing 715 area code and the 274 area code has been assigned to overlay the 920 area code.   The Commission issued orders on December 9, 2008 approving the overlays of the 715 and 920 area codes and setting guidelines for implementation.