Press Release

New "Overlay" Relief Plan Approved for 714 Area Code
New 657 Area Code - So. California's 2nd Overlay - Effective October 7, 2000

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 6, 1999) — A new overlay area code, 657, has been assigned to the 714 area code, which serves the northern portion of Orange County, according to the Communications Industry Services (CIS) group of NeuStar, Inc., which serves as the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA).

The 657 area code is the third overlay approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for the state, and the second overlay for Southern California. The new area code will serve the same geographic area as the current 714 area code, which also includes small portions of Los Angeles County, and will begin service on October 7, 2000.

In an overlay area code, a second area code is added to the same geographic area as the existing area code. All existing numbers will retain the 714 area code, but new telephone customers for local phone service, cellular and paging services, and alarms, for example, assigned in the same area may receive the new 657 area code. In addition, all telephone calls made in the overlay areas require 1+10-digit dialing (area code + seven-digit phone number) - this includes calls currently dialed with seven digits in both the 510 and 415 area codes.

The 714 area code will continue to serve all current customers in cities and communities such as Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Placentia, Yorba Linda, Santa Ana, Cypress, La Habra, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, Orange, Garden Grove, Stanton, Westminster, Huntington Beach, Tustin and the Chino Hilss, Villa Park and Silverado areas.

A formal nine-month "permissive dialing" period begins on October 7, 1999, and runs through July 7, 2000. During that time, customers calling from within the 714 area can dial either 1+10 digits or just the seven-digit telephone number. Customers within the 714 area code are encouraged to begin dialing 1+10 digits on all calls, starting in October, so they can get used to the new dialing plan for the 714 and 657 area codes.

At the end of the "permissive dialing" period - July 7, 2000 - callers must use 1+10 digit dialing to complete their calls. Callers who don't use 1+10 digit dialing will receive a recorded message reminding them to dial 1+10 digits. They will then be required to redial the number. The recorded reminder will remain indefinitely for those who dial only seven digits.

New phone numbers will be assigned in the 657 area code beginning October 7, 2000.

Joe Cocke, NANPA's senior area code relief planner for the Western Region, including California, said the introduction of the new 657 area code is needed to meet the rapidly growing demand for additional telephone numbers in the 714 area code.

"The demand for additional telephone numbers has been driven by several factors including an increase in California's population and healthy economic conditions," Cocke said. "Businesses are also expanding and needing additional telephone numbers, as well as a need for second and third phone lines in the home, and for more wireless services." Another factor is an increase in local telephone service competition, Cocke added.

When switching to or adding a new area code, Cocke said there are several items customers should remember including:

• Changing stationery, business cards and advertising to reflect the correct area code if not already shown.
• Updating fax machine group calling lists to include 1+10 digit phone numbers.
• Reprogramming speed dialers, auto dialers, alarms and PBX (private phone systems)
• Reprogramming outdial lists on personal computers to include 1+10 digits.

Cocke said the introduction of the 657 area code will not affect the price of telephone calls. "Local calls will remain local calls regardless of the area code dialed," he noted.

The CPUC made its ruling on March 18. The state's other overlay area codes are the 310/424 area in Southern California, which starts in July, and Northern California's 408/669 overlay, which begins Jan. 1, 2000. In addition, the 909 area code will receive a unique geographic split and overlay in 2000. The new codes assigned by NANPA for that relief plan are 951 and 752, respectively.

The CPUC has also approved overlays for Northern California's 415 and 510 area codes, which begin in 2000, but new codes have yet to be assigned.

A telecommunications industry group comprised of more than 30 companies collectively develops area code relief plans for California. Area code relief activities for the 714 and 657 area codes are administered by CIS, which was selected by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to serve as the NANPA. NANPA is a neutral, third-party administrator that works with the telecommunications industry in developing area code relief plans and also oversees the assignment of area codes, three-digit central office codes, carrier identification codes, and other numbering resources throughout the United States, Canada, Bermuda and 16 Caribbean countries.

For media inquiries, please contact Bill Stern, spokesman for the North American Numbering Plan Administration, at 202-533-2648.