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CONTACT: Kyle DeVine             November 26, 1996   CPUC - 559
         213-897-4225               (C.95-12-084 & C.96-03-006)

      CPUC ADOPTS BURBANK AND GLENDALE 818 BOUNDARY CHANGE
        BUT TURNS DOWN MONTEREY PARK REQUEST FOR 818 CODE

    The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today
granted a joint complaint by the Cities of Burbank and Glendale
to include the two cities along with La Crescenta and La Canada
in the 818 area code. The Commission denied the City of Monterey
Park's request to place the 818 code in the San Gabriel Valley,
where Monterey Park is located.
    The California Code Administrator and the telecommunications
industry originally proposed splitting the current 818 area in
two.  Cities west of Burbank and La Crescenta would have kept the
818 code, and Burbank, Glendale, La Crescenta, La Canada and the
San Gabriel Valley would have the new 626 area code.
    Burbank and Glendale protested the proposal claiming they
have stronger economic and community of interest ties with the
San Fernando Valley than with the San Gabriel Valley. However,
including Burbank and Glendale in the 818 code could shorten the
life of the area code.  The Commission approved their request
because of their community of interest concerns and changing the
boundary will minimize the impact on the number of people
affected by the split.
    Monterey Park sought to keep the 818 area code.  They
indicated San Gabriel Valley is growing faster than the San
Fernando Valley and would need another code sooner. They were
concerned that the 626 code is similar to the soon to be
implemented 562 code in nearby communities and that might confuse
their callers.  The City has a large Chinese-American community
which Monterey Park claims associates the number 8 with
prosperity and good fortune whereas the numbers 626 are
considered unlucky.

                             -more-

    The Commission turned down Monterey Park's request. The Code
Administrator considers the growth in demand for telephone
numbers not population growth in determining appropriate
geographic splits. Although 626 and 562 area codes have two
numbers that are the same, the codes are not similar. The
Commission is unable to grant a request based on cultural
beliefs.

BACKGROUND
    Due to consumers' increased use of telecommunications
services, like faxes, pagers, and local phone service
competition, the 818 area code is rapidly running out of new
telephone numbers.  The area must be split and a new area code,
626, will be used beginning June 1997.
    The alternative to a split, an area code overlay, is not
possible at this time because permanent local number portability
(LNP), is not available. LNP lets consumers keep their numbers
and custom calling features when they change local telephone
companies. An overlay is where the area is not split but instead
two area codes serve the same area.               ###