Press Release

AREA CODE RELIEF PLANNED FOR PUERTO RICO
939 will be the New Overlay Code

Washington, DC (June 6, 2000) --- The North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) announced today that a new overlay area code ---(939)--- has been assigned to Puerto Rico.

The area currently served by the 787 area code has been assigned the 939 overlay code. The 787 area code is projected to exhaust 1Q2001. Activation dates and the customer education plan for the new overlay code will be determined during a telecommunications implementation meeting in late June.

The area code relief plan was recommended by a telecommunications industry group. The group considered several alternatives for relief of the 787 calling area before reaching agreement on the overlay plan. The Puerto Rico Telecommunications Regulatory Board approved the overlay relief plan last month.

In the overlay plan, an additional area code is added to the same geographic area currently served by the existing 787 area code. All existing numbers will retain the current area code (787), but new telephone customers for local phone service, cellular and paging services, and alarms, may be assigned a telephone number in the new overlay area code (939).

In addition, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that all local telephone calls made in an overlay area code use a 10-digit (area code + seven digit phone number) dialing plan. In Puerto Rico, all local calls made within and between the 787 and the (939) area codes must be made dialing 10-digits.

Thomas C. Foley, NANPA's area code relief planner for the Eastern Region, which includes Puerto Rico, said the introduction of the new 939 area code is needed due to an increase in competition in the local phone service market, the growing demand by the public for additional telephone numbers, and a technical requirement in the phone network that currently allocates phone numbers in blocks of 10,000.

Foley said the addition of the new overlay area code will not affect the cost of telephone calls. "Local calls will remain local calls regardless of the area code dialed," he noted.

A telecommunications industry group, comprised of service providers from various industry segments, collectively develops area code relief plans for Puerto Rico. Relief activities for the area codes in Puerto Rico are administered by Neustar, Inc., which was selected by the FCC to serve as the NANPA.

NANPA is the neutral, third party administrator that works with the telecommunications industry in developing area code relief plans. NANPA 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.