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CONTACT: Kyle DeVine                     October 18, 1995   CPUC - 549
         213-897-4225                                    (C.94-09-058)

            CPUC APPROVES BOUNDARY LINE FOR 562 AREA CODE
    On August 11, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
ordered a geographical split of the 310 area code serving Southern Los
Angeles County because it is running out of telephone numbers.  Half
of the area will remain in the 310 area code and the other will get a
new 562 area code beginning mid-1997. Today, the CPUC established the
the Los Angeles River as the boundary line between the two areas; the
new area code will be used in the eastern area.
    The split ensures the 310 area will have numbers available until
the year 2000, and numbers in the 562 area code for the next 12 years.

    Communities in the newly created 562 area code include Artesia,
Bell, Bellflower, Bell Gardens, Cerritos, Downey, La Habra, Lakewood,
Long Beach, Maywood, Norwalk, Paramount, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe
Springs, and Signal Hill.    note, please contact Kyle DeVine if you
need a copy that includes the map!

    The Commission approved the new boundary as the least disruptive
to the cities and communities. However, part of Long Beach will remain
in the 310 area code because the prefixes - the first three digits of
the 7-digit phone number - and central office serving that area are
also used for Wilmington which will remain in the 310 area code.
    To respond to Long Beach's concerns about having two area codes in
its city, the Commission ordered Pacific Bell to determine if the Long
Beach customers to be assigned to the 310 area code can be switched to
562 without changing their phone numbers or charging them higher
rates. Pacific Bell must also survey those customers to determine
whether they want to be in the 562 area code if they would have to
change their phone numbers.  Pacific Bell must report its studies to
the CPUC for review by December 31, 1995 and the other parties will
have until January 31, 1996 to reply to Pacific Bell's report.   -###-