Wireless Carriers Ask FCC to Refuse to Stay 310 Area Code Retooling
Wireless carriers Verizon Wireless, Cingular, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile are asking the FCC not to intervene in a fight involving the Cal. PUC over a relief plan for Southern Cal.’s 310 exchange. The South Bay Cities Council of Govts. and CLEC Telephone Connection of L.A. had asked the FCC to stay the 11-digit dialing plan, which is to start Dec. 31. But wireless carriers said unless the plan is carried out, competitors soon will be unable to enter the market in the areas covered by the 310 area code.
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The wireless carriers said a stay from the FCC could mean that the 310 exchange would run out of numbers before a new exchange is expected to open in Aug. and would result in confusion among consumers. The carriers said only 160 thousand-blocks of numbers are available among 16 rate centers in the 310 exchange. The past 4 months, 413 thousand-blocks of numbers were assigned and only 40 returned.
Sprint Nextel told the FCC the 310 area code already risks exhaustion before the new 424 can be brought online and a stay would only compound the problem. “Any delay in implementation runs a high risk of complete number exhaust and the inability of consumers, businesses, and telecommunications carriers to obtain numbers,” Sprint said. “The education process has already begun and a reversal at this late inevitably produce significant customer confusion and negative consequences.”
“A stay of the critically needed relief plan for the 310 area code would cause substantial harm to consumers and carriers alike,” Verizon Wireless said in a filing. T-Mobile and Cingular told the FCC the overlay plan “is critical to avoid complete exhaust of the 310 NPA, which would cause certain and irreparable harm to consumers and carriers alike.”
The Cal. PUC has also asked the FCC not to intervene. “As they acknowledge, petitioners have already brought their arguments before the CPUC, and the CPUC has denied their request for relief as being without merit,” the commission said. “While the FCC has the discretion to review this matter, the issues raised in the petition are squarely within authority the FCC has delegated to the states generally and to California specifically.”