Press Release

Geographic Split Plan Approved for 760 Area Code
New 442 Area Code - In Northern San Diego County - Effective October 21, 2000

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 26, 1999) The 442 area code has been assigned to the geographic split relief plan for the 760 area code, which currently serves northern San Diego County and extends east and northeast to the borders of Mexico, Arizona and Nevada. The 442 area code will begin October 21, 2000.

The new area code was announced today by the Communications Industry Services (CIS) group of Neustar, Inc., which serves as the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA). On July 8, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved the geographic split relief plan for the area now served by the 760 area code.

Customers in the western portion of the 760 area code - San Diego County - will receive the new 442 area code and includes communities such as Borrego Springs, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Escondido, Fallbrook, Julian, Oceanside, Camp Pendleton, Pauma Valley, Ramona, San Marcos, Valley Center, Vista and Warner Springs.

The 760 area code will continue to serve existing customers in Imperial, Mono, Riverside, San Bernardino counties and small portions of Kern, Los Angeles and Tulare counties.

Introduction of New Area Code
The 442 area code will be introduced during a formal six-month "permissive dialing" period, which begins October 21, 2000. During this period, people calling from outside the area can dial either the old 760 area code or the new 442 area code to reach customers in the 442 area code. Also, during this time, customers in the 760 and 442 area codes can call between the two area codes using seven-digit dialing.

The mandatory dialing period begins April 14, 2001, at which time, callers must use the correct area code to complete their calls. In addition, customers will have to use 1+ ten digit dialing (1+ area code + seven-digit telephone number) to call between area codes.

After mandatory dialing begins, callers who forget to use the new 442 area code will receive a recorded message reminding them that the area code has changed, and they will be required to redial using the proper area code. The recorded reminder ends July 21, 2001.

Prices of Calls Will Not Be Affected
The introduction of the 442 area code will not affect the price of telephone calls. "All local calls will remain local, regardless of the area code change," said Joe Cocke, NANPA's senior area code relief planner for the Western Region, including California. "Call distance and time determine the cost of a call, not whether or not you dial an area code."

A new area code is needed in the 760 calling area, Cocke said, because of an increase in competition in the local phone service market, the growing demand for additional telephone numbers, and a technical requirement in the phone network that allocates phone numbers in blocks of 10,000.

Area code relief activities for the 760 and 442 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.