Review of 315 area code plans to continue

Albany, New York (WSYR-TV) - The 315 area code change is on hold after the Public Service Commission announced is suspending the public comment period.

A group called PULP (Public Utility Law Project, Inc.) is requesting that the PSC investigate existing numbering resources in the 315 area code.

According to a PSC spokesperson, no date has been set to reinstitute the public comment period.

Click here for a copy of the petition from PULP.

Click here for a copy of the announcement from the PSC, with more information on the plan and how to send comments.

Albany, New York (WSYR-TV) – The State Public Service Commission has released four options that are being considered for creating a second area code to the current 315 area code in central and north-central New York State.

Demand for the 315 area code is higher than the amount of numbers remaining; all 315 area code numbers are expected to run out by late 2010.

The PSC says its goal is to develop a plan that minimizes disruption and inconvenience to customers, while ensuring continued availability of telephone numbers beyond 2010 in the 315 area code region. The options being considered include three that geographically divide the 315 area code and one that would assign a new area code to the same geographic area currently served by 315.

The Staff of the New York State Department of Public Service designed the four proposed 315 area code relief plan options. The Commission may approve any of the options, a modified version of the options, or entirely different plans.

Before any decision is reached, people will have an opportunity to express their views. Public hearings will be held in various locations in central and north-central New York sometime during the next several weeks.

A geographic split would divide the existing 315 code area into two geographic areas, leaving the existing area code to serve one portion and assigning a new area code to the remaining portion. Where this method has been used, the line drawn between the areas has often followed a clearly identifiable jurisdictional, natural, or physical boundary, such as town and county boundaries, and bodies of water.

Staff has formulated three different approaches to splitting the 315 area code on a geographic basis, taking into consideration the projected life5 of the area codes (exhaust dates) on each side of the proposed split and communities of interest within the geographic area. Attachment 1 contains information pertaining to each of these options, including two maps for each option; one showing county and town boundaries, and the other showing county and rate center boundaries.

Option 1 ( PDF of the Plan)

The first geographic split option would divide the existing area code into two geographic areas along rate center boundaries, in a general direction east to west. Under this scenario, the following areas would fall below the proposed boundary and would constitute one area code:

- The existing 315 sections of Yates, Seneca, Cortland, Chenango, Madison and Ontario Counties;

- The greater portions of Wayne, Cayuga and Onondaga Counties; and

- Small portions of Oneida and Otsego Counties.

All of the remaining area north of this line would be located in the other proposed area code.

County Boundaries Split (5 Total):
Cayuga
Oneida
Onondaga
Otsego
Wayne

Town Boundaries Split (12 Total):
Bridgewater
Cato
Clay
Conquest
Lysander
Paris
Plainfield
Sterling
Verona
Victory
Westmoreland
Wolcott

Option 2 ( PDF of the Plan)

The second geographic split option would divide the existing area code into two geographic areas along rate center boundaries in a general north to south direction. Under this scenario, the following areas would fall to the west of the boundary:

- The existing 315 sections of Yates, Seneca, Wayne, Cayuga, Onondaga and
Ontario Counties;

- The greater portion of Oswego County; and

- A small portion of Oneida and Madison Counties. All territory east of this line would be located in the other area code.

County Boundaries Split (4 Total):
Madison
Oswego
Oneida
Onondaga

Town Boundaries Split: (5 Total)
Florence
Lincklaen
Lincoln
Sandy Creek
Vienna

Option 3 ( PDF of the Plan)
The third geographic split option would divide the existing area code into two geographic areas along county boundaries in a general north to south direction, and is similar to Option 2. Under this scenario, the following territory would fall to the west of the boundary:

- The existing 315 Area Code sections of Yates, Seneca, Wayne, Ontario, Cayuga,
Cortland, Onondaga and Oswego Counties.

All territory east of this line would fall on the other side of the boundary.

Rate Center Boundaries Split (9 Total):
Bridgeport
Cazenovia
Chittenango
Cleveland
De Ruyter
Minoa
New Woodstock
Sandy Creek
Williamstown

Advantages of a Geographic Split
• A geographic split would retain the identification of certain locales with a single area code, thereby avoiding the potential confusion associated with the use of multiple area codes in a single neighborhood, building, or even household or business.

• A geographic split does not require all central New York consumers to dial 11 digits within the same area code. Customers would continue to dial seven digits within their respective area code.

Disadvantages of the Geographic Split
• Approximately half of the currently-assigned telephone numbers belonging to the estimated 1.5 million population living in the 315 area code, including numerous businesses, would be required to adopt a new area code, including the need to change  advertising and other materials which contain their telephone number.

• Thousands of wireless customers who would be located in the new area code would have to bring their wireless devices to their service providers for reprogramming with the new area code.

• Future area code exhaust could require additional splits to smaller and smaller areas without clearly recognizable geographic boundaries.

• Consumers would be required to dial an area code for approximately half the numbers that were previously dialable on a seven-digit basis.

An overlay plan assigns a new area code to a given geographic area. Area code relief is provided by opening up a new code throughout the geographic area of the existing code, in effect, “overlaying” it. Central office codes from the new area code are assigned as needed on a carrier-neutral (i.e., first-come, first-served) basis for new service requests. Existing customers (wireline or wireless) are not required to change their area codes or seven-digit telephone
numbers.

The overlay plan provides long-term area code relief, avoids any forced number or area code changes for existing customers, and is easily replicable. Current projections indicate that a single overlay for Central New York would provide area code relief for an estimated range of 23 to 28 years (2033 to 2038).

If an overlay code is adopted, current Federal Communications Commission regulations  require 10-digit dialing within the geographic area of the existing code (i.e., any call made in the current 315 area would now require dialing an area code). This regulation is intended to provide a more level playing field among carriers competing in the same geographic region. In many ways, the advantages and disadvantages of the overlay are a mirror image of those associated with a geographic split.

Advantages of the Overlay
• An overlay code avoids the need for any current customers to change their area code.

• An overlay is easily replicable; if required, additional relief overlay area codes could be
implemented relatively simply. Consumers would not be required to change their area
code as central New York continues to grow.

• The overlay would spare thousands of wireless customers from having to bring their
wireless devices to their service provider for reprogramming with a new area code.

Disadvantages of the Overlay
• Some consumers may believe it is inconvenient to have to dial 11 digits on all calls.

• Consumers may be confused by having to dial area codes to reach telephone numbers
located nearby, in the same building or neighborhood, for example.