WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission late last month rejected a request from the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association to keep the number utilization threshold constant. Following the June 30 decision, the utilization threshold-the percentage of numbers a carrier must use in an area code before requesting more numbers-was increased to 70 percent. It will increase to 75 percent next year.
Access to numbers and how to ensure carriers have enough telephone numbers to meet customer demand is an ongoing issue for a newly competitive telecommunications industry. The FCC and the North American Numbering Council continually struggle with new ways to conserve numbers and preserve area codes.
The FCC is currently deciding whether to grant a waiver petition from the state of California to increase the percentage of contaminated numbers in a thousand-block of numbers from 10 percent to 25 percent to make more numbers available. Late last month, a group of landline carriers, all with wireless affiliates, met with Jessica Rosenworcel, legal adviser to FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, to explain why they are opposed to the California Public Utilities Commission request.
The main objection is the cost. The carriers worry that if other states follow the California request, the costs to implement the change could be more than $100 million. The carriers also disagree with California’s assertion that raising the contamination levels would make more numbers available for number pooling.
California has been frantically trying to stave off a split in the 909 and 310 area codes, but the carriers argue that raising the contamination levels will only extend the lives of 909 and 310 by one and two months respectively.
The carriers also reminded Rosenworcel that NANC had considered a 25-percent level but rejected it in favor of the current 10 percent. California should consider methods employed by other states if it wants to conserve numbers rather than imposing the burden on the telecommunications industry, said the carriers.
