Press Release

Northern California's 650 Area Code to Receive New 764 Overlay Code
Phone Numbers to be Assigned to State's 7th Overlay on Sept. 16, 2000

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 3, 1999) — A new overlay area code, 764, has been assigned to the 650 area code, which serves most of San Mateo County, according to the Communications Industry Services (CIS) group of NeuStar, Inc., which serves as the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA).

The 764 area code is the seventh overlay approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for the state, and the fourth overlay for Northern California. The new area code will serve the same geographic area as the current 650 area code, which also includes small portions of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties, and will begin service on September 16, 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 650 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 764 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 the 650 area code.

The 650 area code will continue to serve all current customers in cities and communities such as Daly City, South San Francisco, Pacifica, San Bruno, Millbrae, San Mateo, Redwood City, Half Moon Bay, Foster City, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Mountain View, and a very small part of San Francisco.

A formal nine-month "permissive dialing" period begins on September 18, 1999, and runs through June 17, 2000. During that time, customers calling from within the 650 area can dial either 1+10 digits or just the seven-digit telephone number. Customers within the 650 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 650 and 764 area codes.

At the end of the "permissive dialing" period - June 17, 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 764 area code beginning September 16, 2000.

Joe Cocke, NANPA's senior area code relief planner for the Western Region, which includes California, said the introduction of the new 764 area code is needed to meet the rapidly growing demand for additional telephone numbers in the 650 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.
• Updating or reprogramming private-dial entry access systems for 1+10 digits

Cocke said the introduction of the 764 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 April 22. The state's first overlay area code is the 310/424 in Southern California, which began mandatory dialing in April. Northern California's other overlays are: 408/669 overlay, which begins Jan. 8, 2000, and 415/628 and 510/341, which will be added next year. 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.

A telecommunications industry group comprised of more than 30 companies collectively develops area code relief plans for California. Area code relief activities for the 650 and 764 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.