Press Release

Two Northern California Area Codes to Receive Overlay Relief Plans
341 Added to 510, While 415 Gets New 628 Area Code

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 12, 1999) — Two new overlay area codes, 341 and 628, have been assigned to the 510 and 415 area codes, respectively, which serve the San Francisco Bay area of Northern California, according to the Communications Industry Services (CIS) group of Neustar, Inc., which serves as the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA).

The new 341 and 628 overlay area codes were approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for the state on April 1. The new area codes will serve the same geographic area as the current 510 and 415 area codes, and will begin on June 15 for the 510/341 overlay, and on Oct. 21 for 415/628.

In an overlay area code, a second area code is added to the same geographic area as the existing area code. All existing numbers in 510 and 415 will retain those area codes, but new telephone customers for local phone service, cellular and paging services, and alarms, for example, in those same areas may receive the new 341 in the 510 calling area, and 628 in the 415 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 510 area code will continue to serve all current customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties and includes Alameda, Berkeley, Castro Valley, Coliseum, Crockett, El Sobrante, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, Hercules, Mills College, Newark, Oak Knoll, Oakland, Pinole, Richmond, Rodeo, San Leandro, San Lorenzo and Union City.

Likewise, the 415 calling area will still serve customers in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties, and includes San Francisco, Brisbane, Nicasio, Point Reyes, Mill Valley, Novato, San Rafael, Sausalito, and Tiburon.

Timelines and dates for both new overlay area codes follows.

The 510/341 Overlay
A formal 10-month "permissive dialing" period begins on June 15, 1999, and runs through April 15, 2000. During that time, customers calling from within the 510 area can dial either 1+10 digits or just the seven-digit telephone number. Customers within the 510 area code are encouraged to begin dialing 1+10 digits on all calls, starting in June, so they can get used to the new dialing plan for the 510 and 341 area codes.

At the end of the "permissive dialing" period - April 15, 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 341 area code beginning July 15, 2000.

The 415/628 Overlay
A formal nine-month "permissive dialing" period begins on October 21, 1999, and runs through July 24, 2000. During that time, customers calling from within the 415 area can dial either 1+10 digits or just the seven-digit telephone number. Customers within the 415 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 415 and 628 area codes.

At the end of the "permissive dialing" period - July 24, 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 628 area code beginning October 21, 2000.

Joe Cocke, NANPA's senior area code relief planner for the Western Region, including California, said the introduction of the new overlay area codes is needed to meet the rapidly growing demand for additional telephone numbers in the 510 and 415 calling areas.

"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 341 and 628 area codes will not affect the price of telephone calls. "Local calls will remain local calls regardless of the area code dialed," he noted.

The addition of the 341 and 628 overlays brings the number of overlays approved by the CPUC to six. The state's other overlay area codes are the 310/424 in Southern California, which begins mandatory dialing on April 17, and Northern California's 408/669 overlay, which begins Jan. 1, 2000. In addition, the 909/752 and 714/657 overlay area codes will be added in 2000.

A telecommunications industry group comprised of more than 30 companies collectively develops area code relief plans for California. Area code relief activities for the 510/341 and 415/628 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.