Inside This Issue: Legislative Update ...... 2 News ...... 3 Regional Conference Calls ...... 4 The State Scene CIS News ...... 4 A CIS bi-monthly publication for State Public Utility Commissions

May WELCOME

June The inaugural issue of The State Scene, a bi-monthly newsletter for State Public Utility Commissions prepared by the Communications Industry Services (CIS) group of Lockheed Martin IMS, 1999 will offer a range of stories and information designed keep state commissions better apprised of numbering issues at a national level. As outlined in a letter sent to all state commissions in April from Jeff Ganek, senior vice president and managing director of CIS, this newsletter is part of the company’s commitment to working with state commissions to better serve their needs. Feedback and suggestions are welcomed, as we build this relationship together. CIS

AROUND THE STATES COCUS RESULTS DUE IN MAY Below is a recap of recent activity at several state commissions, including filings with the The North American Numbering Plan Admin- Federal Communications Commission (FCC). istration (NANPA) is in the final review of the 1999 Central Office Code Utilization Survey Massachusetts (COCUS) and plans to release the results at the North American Numbering Council (NANC) On February 12, the Massachusetts Department meeting in , DC on May 25-26. of Technology and Energy (MDTE) petitioned the FCC to implement a technology NANPA is required to forecast availability of specific, or service-specific, overlay in the NANP numbering resources and ensure the 508, 617, 781, and 978 area codes in eastern continued viability of the NANP. As part of this Massachusetts. process, NANPA conducts an annual survey of service providers on the The MDTE also petitioned the FCC, on number of central office (CO or NXX) codes February 17, for delegated authority for the currently assigned to them, as well as forecasts the 508, 617, 781, and 978 area codes to: 1) reclaim number of additional CO codes they will need unused and reserved exchange codes; 2) main- over the next five years. COCUS is used to pre- tain the current central office code rationing dict the exhaust of individual NPA codes, and the measures for at least six months after imple- NANP as a whole, and is instrumental for area mentation of all the area code relief plans; code relief planning purposes. 3) revise rationing procedures; 4) hear and ad- dress claims of carriers seeking additional With the introduction of local competition, codes outside the rationing plan; 5) set code coupled with an overall increased demand for allocation standards; 6) institute thousand-block telephone numbers, projecting NPA exhaust has number pooling; 7) implement Extended become a very challenging process. Efforts are Local Calling Areas; 8) implement Inconsistent underway to account for new companies enter- Rate Centers; and 9) implement Unassigned ing the market that may not been included Communication Industry Number Porting. Comments for both petitions in the COCUS input. In addition, NPA code Services were filed April 5, with replies filed April 19. (continued on page 2) 1200 K Street, NW (continued on page 2) Washington, DC 20005 (202) 414-3500 1 Maine NXX code reclamation procedures, utilization sur- FCC ORDERS On March 17 the Maine Public Utilities Com- veys, NXX code rationing, enforcement, and au- mission (MPUC) petitioned the FCC for del- diting. Comments were filed April 5 and replies egated authority to: 1) establish number assign- filed April 19. CIS ment and utilization standards; 2) order interim unassigned number porting; and 3) order thou- LEGISLATIVE UPDATE sand-block number pooling. Comments were Future FCC filed May 3, and replies filed May 17. On April 12, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) Action introduced a bill dubbed The Area Code Conser- vation Act. Co-sponsored by Sens. Robert The FCC is preparing On April 2, the Florida Public Service Torricelli (D-NJ) and Joseph Lieberman Commission (FPSC) (D-CT) the goal of the Bill to release an Notice of petitioned the FCC to is to “spare American Proposed Rule Making implement number businesses and house- (NPRM) that will conservation measures. NANPA NEWS holds the expense and NANPA’s home page.... address number The FPSC seeks the au- inconvenience of unnec- thority to: 1) implement www.nanpa.com essary changes in area pooling. thousand-block number provides a variety of information on codes.” The Bill would pooling; 2) reclaim un- numbering resource issues, including: set a date by which the used and reserved CO FCC is required to • Assignments of area codes codes; 3) maintain the develop a plan for effi- Commercial • Central office codes Mobile Radio jeopardy rationing plans • Carrier identification codes cient for at least six months allocation. It would also Service • Contact numbers for NANPA after the implementa- personnel gives states the authority (CMRS) tion of all NPA relief • Planning letters that detail area code to implement area code plans; 4) expand deploy- splits and overlays conservation measures In February, the ment of permanent Lo- • Jeopardy procedures while the FCC develops • Monthly reports to the North Ameri- CIS FCC released a cal Number Portability; can Numbering Council (NANC). its plan. 5) implement unas- Memorandum Opinion signed number porting; A new chart on the website lists the and Order in Docket and 6) order wireless status of active NPA relief projects COCUS FCC99-019 resetting carriers to provide the throughout the United States. Titled RESULTS “Status of Active and Pending NPA the deadline for CMRS necessary COCUS data (continued from cover) and other information Relief Projects,” the chart can be providers to implement found in two places: “What’s New” needed to investigate projections must also local number portability section under “Report on Current the feasibility of various Relief Projects,” or on the main menu consider the impact of (LNP). This Order pooling scenarios. Com- by selecting “Numbering Resource service providers ex- granted a request for ments were filed May Information” and then “NANPA’s panding their service of- 14, and replies were due Report on Current Relief Projects.” ferings within an NPA. forbearance from LNP, May 28. The chart also includes a listing of all To this end, NANPA has extending the deadline the jeopardy NPAs. extensively examined until November 24, New York the unique characteris- 2002, for broadband On February 19, the New tics of each NPA and York State Department of Public Service developed a methodology intended to account CMRS carriers to (NYSDPS) petitioned the FCC for delegated au- for these events in order to improve NPA ex- implement service thority to: 1) implement mandatory thousand-block haust projections. CIS provider LNP. number pooling trials; 2) explore options for imple- menting individual telephone number (ITN) pool- ing and establishing ITN pooling trials where tech- For questions or comments about The State Scene or other issues nologically feasible; and 3) implement interim un- and concerns, contact the assigned number porting. The NYSDPS also pe- PUC Hotline titioned for authority to adopt and enforce num- 312-706-6268 ber assignment standards including: “fill rates,” 2 NPA RELIEF NEWS NUMBER POOLING A Word From Our “Saving 7-Digit Dialing” NEWS Managing Director At CIS, we are Overlays are an NPA relief alternative that involve placing a new NPA over the same committed to Illinois has issued its third interim report involving our geography as the current NPA. Overlays are on the status of the mandatory trial of state commis- becoming more popular as states look at cre- thousands-block number pooling within sion clients in all aspects of this ative ways to provide area code relief. Regu- the 847 NPA. The trial, which began on lators in 10 states have opted for overlays in organization’s June 1, 1998, uses the existing local num- work to better 21 NPAs. FCC regulations require 10-digit ber portability architecture (i.e., LRN/ serve our multi- local calling within and between NPAs where LNP) and pre-port methodology for faceted cus- tomer base, and an overlay is implemented. Although many allocating thousands-blocks within as- in the industry think 10-digit dialing is inevi- to effectively signed NXXs to different service providers serv- operate as the North American table, plenty of energy is being expended to ing the same rate areas. This trial requires manda- Numbering Plan Administration save 7-digit local dialing, particularly in rural tory participation by wireline service providers. (NANPA). A strong partnership areas and for the elderly. between the state commissions and CIS is crucial to tying in our NANPA In February, Number Portability Administra- responsibilities more closely with the Recently, some creative approaches to NPA tion Center (NPAC) Release 1.4 provided commissions. overlays have been introduced as states look several NPAC and interface upgrades to In the past, state commissions had to use this form of relief while retaining 7- enable number pooling. digit dialing. minimal involvement in telephone number administration, as national The following data represents more than 10 industry forums often took action In Oregon, the state commission recently ap- months of pooling in the 847 NPA, as of April 9: with little input from the States. It is proved a concentrated overlay for the 503 time to change, and we are com- NPA. Excluded from the overlay was the mitted to providing that positive Total blocks allocated 206 change. coastal region, which has been growing at a slower pace than the rest of the 503 area. The Contaminated blocks allocated 9 Since assuming the NANPA re- plan will set aside NXX codes for the coastal sponsibilities just over a year ago, Carriers that received allocated blocks 10 region, allowing 7-digit dialing to be retained. CIS has focused on numbering ad- ministration functions that had been Est. NXXs saved by allocating blocks managed by various independent Another creative 7-digit/overlay plan was ap- from existing codes 137 parties. We built the organization proved in Florida’s 407 NPA, which includes and infrastructure from scratch, as NXXs opened to replenish the pool Disneyworld and Cape Canaveral. This plan well as transitioned all CO code ad- or accommodate a specific carrier request 22 ministration and area code relief called a “split, boundary extension, concen- planning responsibilities from the trated overlay” will split Brevard County in the Clean blocks donated 700 incumbent local exchange carriers, eastern part of the NPA, from the 407 NPA, and area code assignment re- Contaminated blocks donated 121 and give it the new 321 NPA. The 321 NPA sponsibilities from Bellcore - all on schedule. For the first time, there is will then overlay the remaining 407 NPA, thus NXXs assigned within NPA 847 733 a single, competitively neutral num- allowing Brevard County to retain 7-digit dial- ber administrator for all of North ing. To make it last for up to 8 years, 381 NXX America. codes from the 321 NPA have been reserved New York State Two pooling initiatives in New York—in the 212 As we continue to improve NANPA’s for Brevard County. The Debary in processes, we will create an oppor- the northern part of the 407 NPA was ex- and 718 NPAs—are using the existing local num- tunity for meaningful input from the cluded from the overlay for other reasons. ber portability architecture (i.e., LRN/LNP) and state commissions, which will be port-on-demand methodology for allocating thou- incorporated into CIS’ formal state A non-concentrated overlay is being consid- sands-blocks within assigned NXXs to different commission program. It’s part of our objective to maintain regular ered in several other states to save 7-digit dial- service providers serving the same rate areas. dialogue with state commissions, ing for rural areas. This would be done by Both trials are based on voluntary participation understand your concerns, and excluding rate centers with only one NXX by wireline service providers. In the 212 NPA, manage the NANPA responsive to from the overlay relief plan. This alternative to date, 36 blocks were donated and 19 have your needs. has been nick-named the “spotted cow,” and will been assigned to service providers. In the 718 be discussed in the next issue of The State Scene. NPA, 21 blocks have been donated to date. CIS CIS 3 CIS NEWS In further commitment to the state PUCs, CIS recently hired three former State Commission staffers from Colorado, Missouri and Illinois:

Bruce Armstrong Ben Childers Brent Struthers A former senior engineer within the Ben Childers comes to CIS after serving Brent Struthers served as a lead Staff Department of Telecommunications at as a senior staff member within the Tele- member within the Telecommunications the Colorado Public Utilities Commis- communications Division at the Missouri Division at the Illinois Commerce Com- sion, Bruce Armstrong joins CIS’ Public Service Commission. Ben joins mission prior to joining CIS. In his new NANPA organization as an NPA Relief NANPA as an NPA Relief Planner for role, Brent will serve as Chief of Regu- Planner for the Western Region. Bruce the Central Region, and is based in latory Matters and is responsible for CIS’ is based in Denver. Columbus, Mo. state action plan and newsletter.

Phone (573) 442-7721 Phone (847) 836-0785 Phone (303) 774-8915 Fax (573) 442-7821 Fax (847) 836-2201 Fax (202) 887-0331 (888) 469-6341 Pager (800) 480-5786 E-mail [email protected] E-mail [email protected] E-mail [email protected]

REPORT FROM THE individual NPAs and the NANP as a CO Codes to project future demand; and 4) NUMBERING whole. The NRO set criteria and exam- Lockheed Martin IMS’ proposed LINUS RESOURCE ined four specific alternatives. The analy- (Line Number Utilization Survey) that re- OPTIMIZATION (NRO) sis included a list of desired attributes and quests line level data to determine growth graded the importance on a scale of 1 to 3 and utilization for its exhaust findings. The Numbering Resource Optimization (high, medium, and low.) (NRO) group is in the process of NRO developed a fourth approach to presenting four COCUS alternatives to the The four options include: 1) the current COCUS known as a Hybrid Method, industry at the NANC meeting in May. COCUS and its five-year projected demand; since it incorporates a portion of each of 2) the AT&T Minimalist approach and its the alternatives. NRO has asked NANPA The NRO has been charged with use of growth and initial code applications to to provide relative cost estimates on each determining the most effective methodol- project demand; 3) the US WEST of the four alternatives, which will also be ogy for forecasting the exhaust of contribution that used historical demand of discussed at the NANC meeting. CIS

REGIONAL CONFERENCE CALLS

CIS is scheduling monthly regional con- Thurs., June 17, Central Region (North) - MN, The State Scene 10 a.m. (CST) WI, IL, IA, IN, MI, MO A CIS bi-monthly publication for the State Public Utility ference calls with the state commissions Commissions to discuss issues and concerns. These Sr. Vice President & calls are the first opportunity to provide Fri., June 18, Eastern Region (North) - ME, Managing Director, CIS Jeff Ganek 10 a.m. (EST) VT, NY, NH, PA, CT, MA, OH, RI, feedback directly to CIS on a variety of NJ, DE, MD, DC issues. CIS will use the information to Industry Liaison Brent Struthers enhance service to all its customers, Wed., June 23, Western Region - AZ, CA, CO, Editor Rebecca Barnhart including state commissions. Prior to the 10 a.m. (PST) WA, OR, ID, MT, ND, SD, WY, calls, a packet will be mailed out with the NE, KS, OK, NM, NV, UT, HI, AK, CNMI, Guam Contributing Writers Barry Bishop agenda, material for the call, and the con- Rose Breidenbaugh ference bridge phone number. Contact Ron Conners Thurs. June 24, Eastern Region (South) - WV, Brent Struthers with additional questions 10 a.m. (EST) VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, PR, USVI Jim Deak or issues prior to the conference calls. John Manning

Following is the schedule of the first Fri, June 25, Central Region (South) - AR, Layout/Design Tracy Keller round of regional conference calls. 10 a.m. (CST) MS, AL, LA, TX, TN, KY 4