CONTACT: Kyle DeVine September 26, 1997 CPUC - 558
213-897-4225 (R.95-04-043)

CPUC ORDERS MEETING IN BAKERSFIELD TO DISCUSS AREA CODE SPLIT

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has ordered the California Code Administrator to hold another meeting in Bakersfield to discuss the need to split the 805 area code, tell the public about the suggested ways to split the area, and listen to their concerns and suggestions.

The meeting will be scheduled soon at a time and place convenient to the community. Press releases will be issued once the date is set.

The Commission has ordered another meeting because only 2 people attended the public meeting held in Bakersfield on June 6. This leaves concern that the community may not be aware of the split which is due February 1999. Also they may not know that the Code Administrator, who monitors phone number use and recommends when new area codes should be implemented, has recommended to the CPUC that the 805 area be split by using a new area code in Kern County and the northern part of Los Angeles County which includes Valencia, Palmdale and Lancaster. Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties would keep the 805 code.

The 805 area must be split because consumers' desire for telecommunications services such as pagers and cellular phones, and the advent of competition in the local phone service market have drained phone number supplies. There are more than 100 local phone companies in California and each must have a supply of phone numbers to issue to new customers in each telephone exchange they wish to serve. So they are each given an entire prefix, or 10,000 numbers, for each exchange they request; there are 72 exchanges in the 805 area code.

The Commission is looking at ways to "pool" numbers where local phone companies return excess phone numbers and they can be reissued to other companies which need them. In a few years, this may avoid having to split area codes so often.