Press Release

New Overlay Area Code Assigned to Pennsylvania's 412 and 724 Calling Areas
878 Will Be New Area Code in a Multiple Overlay Relief Plan

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Dec. 30, 1999) - The North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) announced today that a new overlay area code - 878 - has been assigned to the area currently served by both the 412 and 724 area codes in western Pennsylvania.

The area code relief plan was recommended by a telecommunications industry group, which considered several alternatives for relief of the two area codes before reaching agreement on the multiple overlay plan. This area code relief is the third overlay plan approved for Pennsylvania. In June 1999, the 215 and 610 area codes in southeastern Pennsylvania received the 267 and 484 overlay area codes, respectively.

In a multiple overlay relief plan, an additional area code is added to the same geographic area currently served by the two existing area codes. All existing numbers will retain the current area code, 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.

In addition, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that all telephone calls made in an overlay area code use either 10-digit dialing (area code + seven digit phone number) or 1+10-digit dialing (1+ area code + seven digit phone number). This includes calls currently dialed with seven digits in either the 412 or 724 area code, calls within the same area code, and those made between the new 878 area code and either of the existing 412 and 724 area codes.

To introduce the new 878 overlay area code, a "permissive" dialing period will be established, allowing customers calling within the 412 or 724 area codes to dial either the seven, ten or 1+ 10-digit telephone number. During the "permissive" dialing period, customers are encouraged to begin dialing 10 digits or 1+10 digits on all calls, to become accustomed to the new dialing plan for the 412, 724 and 878 area codes.

At the end of the "permissive" dialing period, callers must use the new 10-digit or 1+ 10-digit dialing patterns to complete their calls within and between the 412, 724 and 878 area codes. Callers who do not use the new dialing pattern will receive a recorded message reminding them to dial 10 or 1+10 digits. They will also be required to hang up and redial the number.

Dates for the permissive and mandatory dialing periods have not been established.

Frank Colaco, NANPA's area code relief planner for the eastern region, which includes Pennsylvania, said the introduction of the new 878 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.

Colaco said the addition of the new overlay area code will not affect the cost of telephone calls. "The price of calls currently billed as local calls will remain the same regardless of the area code dialed," he noted.

When switching to or adding a new area code, Colaco 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
• Reprogramming alarm monitoring devices to accommodate 10- or 1+10-digit dialing (contact alarm service providers)
• Updating fax machine group calling lists to include 10- or 1+10-digit dialing
• Reprogramming speed dialers, auto dialers, alarms and PBX (private phone systems)
• Reprogramming out-dial lists on personal computers to include 10- or 1+10-digit dialing
• Updating or reprogramming private-dial entry access systems for 10- or 1+10-digit dialing.

A telecommunications industry group, comprised of various industry segments, collectively develops area code relief plans for the state of Pennsylvania. Relief activities in Pennsylvania are administered by NeuStar, Inc., which was selected by the 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.

NeuStar, Inc., is an independent, stand-alone company that provides neutral, third-party clearinghouse services to the telecommunications industry. NeuStar, Inc., was formerly known as the Communications Industry Services (CIS) group within Lockheed Martin IMS.

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