Press Release

Michigan's Lower Peninsula to Receive New 231 Area Code
231 Area Code to split from 616 Effective June 1999

Washington, D.C. (Nov. 9, 1998) Neustar, Inc., as administrator of the North American Numbering Plan, announced today that area code 231 has been assigned to the Northwestern portion of Michigan's lower Peninsula.

Telecommunications service providers in Michigan recently approved an area code split plan to provide relief for the 616 area code. The area code split, which will be roughly along the northern boundaries of Ottawa, Kent and Ionia counties, will keep Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids in the 616 area code.

A new area code is needed because the state is rapidly using up prefix codes - the three-digit combinations that are the first part of a seven-digit phone number - in area code 616. "The speed with which prefix codes are utilized has accelerated due to overall economic growth, growth of second lines in residences, the continued growth of wireless phones and pagers and the advent of local competition," said Stan Washer, NANPA senior relief planner for Neustar, Inc..

Subsequent exhaust of the 616 and 231 codes is currently forecasted to occur in approximately five and twelve years, respectively.

Optional dialing for the new 231 area code is planned to begin June 5, 1999. At that time calls can be made with either the old or new area code. Required dialing of 231 will begin on October 2, 1999.

Area code relief activities for the 616 and 231 area codes are administered by Neustar, Inc., who was selected by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to serve as the North American Number Plan Administrator (NANPA). NANPA is a neutral, third-party administrator that 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.