Press Release

Geographic Split Plan Approved for West Tennessee's 901 Calling Area
731 will be the New Area Code

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 13, 2000)--- The North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) announced today that a new area code---(731)---has been assigned to the West Tennessee calling area. The 901 calling area has been assigned the 731 area code. The 901 area code is projected to exhaust 4Q2001. Activation dates and the customer education plan for the new geographic split plan will be determined during a telecommunications implementation meeting this month.

The 901 area code will continue to serve existing customers in the Memphis metropolitan calling area which includes all of Shelby and Tipton Counties and portions of Fayette, Lauderdale and Hardeman Counties. Customers in the remaining calling areas will receive the new 731 area code.

Several alternatives were considered for relief of the 901 calling area. The Tennessee Regulatory Authority approved the geographic split relief plan last month. The introduction of the 731 area code begins with a "permissive" dialing period, which will be determined at a later date by the industry. During this period, customers can use either the 901 or the new 731 area code to place calls to the new area code calling areas. In addition, customers can also place calls between the 901 and 731 calling areas by dialing just seven-digits during the permissive period.

Once mandatory dialing of the 731 area code begins, callers must use the correct area code to complete their calls. In addition, customers will have to use 10-digit dialing (area code + seven-digit telephone number) to call between area codes. After the mandatory dialing begins, callers who do not use the new area code will receive a recorded message reminding them that the area code has changed. They will then be required to redial the number using the correct area code. Customers in the new 731 area code will be able to make calls to other numbers in the 731 area code by dialing just the seven-digit number.

Linda Hymans, NANPA's area code relief planner for the Central Region, which includes Tennessee, said the introduction of the new 731 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. Hymans said the addition of the new area code in Tennessee will not affect the cost of telephone calls. "Local calls will remain local calls regardless of the area code dialed," she noted.

A telecommunications industry group, comprised of service providers from various industry segments, collectively develops area code relief plans for Tennessee. Relief activities for the area codes in Tennessee are administered by NeuStar, Inc., which was selected by the Federal Communications Commission 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 many of the Caribbean islands.

NeuStar, Inc. is an independent company that provides neutral, third-party clearinghouse services to the communications industry.

Visit NANPA online at www.nanpa.com.

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