Of the 7. The other 1. The CPUC's utilization study found that of the 6. Therefore, 5. A portion of these unused numbers can be made available for use by all companies, through the monthly lottery allocation process. In addition, companies have reported 2. A portion of these unavailable numbers can be used more efficiently if the recommendations contained in this report are implemented. The CPUC asked thirty-nine companies, holding prefixes in the area code, to report their utilization data with a reporting cut-off date of August 31, Table shows the distribution of prefixes held in by incumbent local exchange carriers ILECs , competitive local exchange carriers CLECs , 19 and wireless carriers in 76 rate centers.
Of the 39 companies in the area code, all companies submitted utilization data. A list of the companies that have been allocated numbers in the area code appears in Appendix A. The area code has 5. Of these unused numbers, TD found that companies held 3.
The remaining 1. The breakdown of available numbers is shown in the table below. Total Available Numbers Reported by Carriers 3,, Numbers Available for the Lottery 1,, Total Available Numbers in the Area Code 5,, Not all of the 5. Of the 5. The remaining 2. Pooling for the area code has not as yet been scheduled. By setting up a pooling trial in the area code and adopting recommendations in this report, 22 the CPUC could shift 1.
Current technology requires a company to be LNP-capable in order to donate numbers for another company to use. Wireline companies hold 2. However, not all of these 2. The remaining , of the 2. However, companies can immediately use these numbers to provide service to their customers or meet other needs. Wireless carriers hold , unused numbers in the area code. Until wireless carriers become LNP-capable in November , none of these numbers may be reallocated to other companies.
In the interim, wireless carriers may assign these numbers to their own customers. TD analyzed the utilization data to determine the availability of numbers within blocks of different contamination levels to assess different contamination thresholds that could be employed in the number pool. The following table summarizes available numbers by contamination levels by rate center for wireline carriers. The first two numeric columns of Table show the potential numbers available to the pooling trial, except for those numbers kept for companies' six-month inventory, under current rules.
Available numbers in one rate center cannot be used in another rate center. Table shows that one rate center, other than Directory Assistance, has no available numbers that companies could donate to the pool.
TD cautions that although Table shows potential results from increasing allowable contamination levels, further analysis and input from the industry may be necessary to determine accurately the quantity of additional numbers that can be added to the pool while still leaving companies with a six-month inventory.
Table shows available numbers in blocks of differing contamination levels held by wireless carriers. Recommendations from Block Contamination Analysis for Wireless.
These instances are a small portion of the 6, blocks in use in the area code, and do not necessarily indicate that companies have intentionally contaminated blocks to avoid having to donate them to a number pool. Viewing the utilization data suggests, however, that companies have not generally followed practices of sequential numbering and filling blocks substantially before using new blocks. The CPUC's rules on sequential numbering and fill rate practices promulgated in Decision are designed to prevent this problem from occurring.
Where companies possess significant available numbers in a given rate center, these two efficiency measures could prevent the opening of new blocks or prefixes. Companies reported utilization data as of August 31, The sequential numbering and fill rates decision was issued in July Some of these practices of non-sequential numbering and not filling blocks substantially before using new blocks may have happened before the July decision.
TD does not expect carriers to contaminate blocks unnessarily. Decision directed companies to return prefixes that are held unused for more than six months. The following table shows the breakdown between wireless and wireline carriers. Wireless Carriers , 40, , As shown above, 60, numbers in 6 prefixes can possibly be reclaimed if not used within six months.
The FCC granted authority to state regulatory commissions to investigate and determine whether code holders have activated prefixes within the allowed time frames, and directed the NANPA to abide by the state commission's determination to reclaim a prefix if the state commission is satisfied that the code holder has not activated the prefix within the time specified in the first NRO order. In this ruling, the CPUC instructed the delinquent companies to comply immediately. Companies are to inform the CPUC either that the prefix es have been placed in service or returned, that the company was incorrectly included in NANPA's delinquent list, or the reasons the prefix es have not been placed in service.
The CPUC will review the reasons and make a determination on whether the prefix es must be returned or reclaimed by NANPA, or whether an extension of time is to be granted to the company to place the prefix es in service.
Any delinquent companies that fails to comply will be subject to penalties and sanctions. In the following sections, TD recommends a series of policies designed to require companies to use unavailable numbers more efficiently. These policies would potentially free more numbers for use in the pool, to be allocated through the monthly lottery, or to be otherwise used by companies. Companies report that 2.
Assigned numbers are those numbers that are currently being used by customers or equipment. Companies commonly refer to these numbers as "unavailable". Unavailable numbers include not only those actually in use by customers, but also the following categories:. In the area code, there are 1. The percentage of assigned numbers to total numbers held by companies is shown in the table below. Assigned Numbers to Numbers Held by Carriers in millions. TD examined Neustar's summaries of the companies' first two semiannual NRUF reports, which reported utilization data as of June 30, and December 31, These rates of number assignment imply annual growth rates in assigned numbers of 1.
The fact that the half-year period spanned by these two reports includes the Christmas season, widely cited as a period of increased sales of wireless devices, suggests that a full year's data will probably show a lower annual growth rate for wireless carriers than that cited above. Non-Working wireless describes numbers assigned to wireless customer equipment, but which are not yet working. These numbers are considered a sub-category of assigned numbers.
For example, wireless carriers sometimes pre-package a cellular telephone with an assigned telephone number for sale to customers. Although the number is assigned, it will remain inactive until a customer purchases the telephone. There are 9, non-working wireless numbers reported for this area code. While the quantity of non-working wireless numbers reported is generally zero or very low, this sub-category of assigned numbers could increase because there are no restrictions on the number of days that a wireless company can hold these numbers, causing numbers to remain idle for an unspecified period.
The CPUC should consider several options to improve inventory management of non-working wireless numbers. One option is for the CPUC to require companies to return these numbers to the unassigned category after days similar to the requirement the FCC has established for reserved numbers. Recommendations for Treatment of Non-Working Wireless. Under these INP arrangements, two telephone numbers are associated with each customer.
LNP eliminates the need for two telephone numbers for each customer when the customers change companies because customers can take their numbers with them. Since the area code has portions which are included in the top MSAs in the nation, all wireline carriers should be LNP-capable in the 33 rate centers which are in the top MSA's.
Companies reported a total of INP numbers in the area code. Historically, the telecommunications industry has designated certain prefixes for special uses, usually to an ILEC. These include numbers for recorded public information announcements such as time-of-day, weather forecasts, high-volume call in numbers, and emergency preparedness 34 numbers. These prefixes are not made available for general commercial use, and thus numbers within these prefixes that are not in actual use lie vacant.
In , companies decided not to duplicate the special use prefixes in each area code. Concerned that this process could adversely affect the public, the CPUC directed that these prefixes should be duplicated in each new area code.
The utilization study shows that 6 prefixes are dedicated for special uses: one each for directory assistance, high volume calling, time, emergency preparedness and two mobile radio codes TD questions the necessity of assigning an entire prefix for each of the purposes listed above. Furthermore, having multiple special use prefixes is an inefficient use of numbers in the area code as well as in other area codes in California.
For example, if the prefix 36 currently reserved only for directory assistance could be used to provide time and emergency preparedness then two more prefixes could be returned for reallocation in the area code. Similarly, expanded use of the prefix throughout the state could result in more returned prefixes in other area codes. The CPUC should further analyze the option of obtaining standard numbers in every California area code to provide time, emergency preparedness, and weather information at no additional cost to customers.
Recommendations for Special-Use Prefixes. Carriers "set aside" numbers for future use by customers. This utilization study incorporated the FCC's day requirement. The FCC later issued an extension until December 1, for companies to comply with the day rule. This took effect on December 29, Wireline carriers reported a total of , reserved numbers in the area code.
If the quantity of reserved numbers held by wireline carriers can be minimized, additional numbers could be available for immediate use by the companies from within their own number inventories thus slowing the rate at which new prefixes are allocated to these companies.
Numbers could also be freed up for reallocation in the number pool. Currently there are no limitations on the quantity or percentage of numbers a company can classify as reserved before requesting new numbers. Similarly, companies are not required to use their reserved numbers stock before they can request that new numbers be allocated to them.
Comparing the data on the Petaluma Swift rate center and the Sonoma rate center illustrates wide discrepancies between the quantity of reserved numbers companies hold. There are 13 prefixes in Petaluma Swift and 12 prefixes in Sonoma. However, wireline carriers in the Petaluma Swift center have over 2. If the CPUC orders efficient use practices specific to reserved numbers, more numbers could be made available for customer use.
Wireless carriers reported 27, reserved numbers in the area code. Wireless carriers also reported wide variances in reserved numbers. Comparing the data on the Clearlake Oakes rate center and the Fairfield Suisun rate center illustrates wide discrepancies between the quantity of reserved numbers companies hold. Clearlake Oakes has one prefix and reserved numbers, while Fairfield Suisun had seven prefixes and only 18 reserved numbers.
For wireline carriers, efficient number use practices specific to reserved numbers could immediately free up numbers within these companies' inventories for use, and thus, could slow the rate at which new prefixes are allocated to these companies. Once wireless carriers are able to participate in number pooling, these practices could have the same efficiency gains as those for wireline carriers.
In developing these practices, the CPUC should investigate various alternatives including, but not limited to, 1 limits on the quantity or percentage of reserved numbers companies can hold, and 2 requirements for using reserved numbers prior to requesting new numbers.
Administrative numbers are those not assigned to customers and are generally used for a wide range of applications for companies' internal use, including testing, internal business, and other network purposes. Companies reported over 64, 42 administrative numbers in the area code. Wireline carriers hold approximately 56, of these numbers and wireless carriers hold approximately 8, of them.
The utilization study revealed that there is a potential for companies to over-assign administrative numbers within a particular thousand block, prefix or rate center in the area code.
The following example demonstrates the potential for over-assignment. In the Santa Rosa rate center, a company is using numbers for administrative purposes in one prefix while the average across all companies is slightly over Given the variances in the levels of administrative numbers between companies and rate centers, it is unclear what basis companies use for placing numbers in this category.
The CPUC should therefore pursue an investigation in this area. Companies could conserve numbers by centralizing assignment of administrative numbers within one or a few blocks within one prefix. However, some companies randomly assigned administrative numbers in multiple thousand-blocks within the same prefix.
Because of this practice, companies already have contaminated multiple thousand-blocks; thus, preventing them from donating blocks once they can participate in number pooling or other LNP-based conservation measures. Also, some companies holding multiple prefixes in a given rate center randomly assign administrative numbers throughout different prefixes when they have the available number resources to centralize the assignment of these numbers in one prefix in that rate center.
TD questions the need for companies to hold multiple prefixes in a given rate center, when they are using multiple prefixes to serve their internal purposes and not necessarily to serve customer needs. Recommendations for Administrative Numbers. The CPUC should consider placing a limit on the quantity or percentage of administrative numbers companies are allowed to hold.
In cases in which companies hold multiple prefixes in a single rate center, the CPUC should develop rules that require companies to limit administrative number assignments within prefixes.
The FCC's first NRO Order defines aging numbers as disconnected numbers that are not available for assignment to another customer for a specified period of time. In the area code, there are approximately 95, numbers in the aging category, representing 3.
While most companies track aging telephone numbers by business and residential categories, Pacific Bell, the largest single number holder in the area code, does not differentiate and reported all it's aging numbers in the "Residential" category for this phase of the area code studies. Therefore, the vast majority of the aging numbers in the residential category may give a false impression that most aging numbers are residential numbers.
Because Pacific Bell does not differentiate between residential and business in reporting aging numbers, it is uncertain whether Pacific is adhering to the maximum day aging period for residential numbers, and whether, at the end of the day period, Pacific is reassigning these numbers to the "available" category.
A higher percentage of aging numbers occurs in the wireless category, as compared to the wireline category. Aging numbers represent 5. Aging numbers represent 3. This is consistent with the higher turnover or "churn" that occurs in the wireless industry.
Appendix G shows the breakdown of aging numbers by wireless and wireline categories. Pacific Bell should be redirected to differentiate aging numbers between business and residential, track them separately, and report on each category accurately.
The CPUC should assess penalties for failure to comply. Recommendation for Intermediate Numbers. Wireline carriers allocate numbers for use by wireless carriers through Type 1 interconnection agreements. Wireline carriers report Type 1 numbers in the Intermediate category since they provide these numbers to another company. Wireline carriers also list the wireless carriers to whom they distributed ranges of numbers.
Wireless carriers report on the numbers they received, placing them in the Assigned, Administrative, Reserved, Intermediate, Aging, or Available categories. Record keeping of Type 1 numbers is inadequate because, more often than not, wireline carriers' reports disagreed with wireless Type 1 carriers' reports. In other cases, wireless Type 1 carriers go out of business and do not return their numbers to the wireline carrier.
In either case, numbers are lying dormant, used by neither the wireline or wireless Type 1 carrier. In today's scarce numbering environment, it is unacceptable to let numbers go unused because of inadequate record keeping. Wireline donor carriers currently do not monitor wireless Type 1 inventories, nor do they proactively reclaim unused Type 1 numbers from wireless carriers.
TD recommends that wireline carriers perform a one-time inventory check on Type 1 numbers to confirm that the numbers they have distributed are acknowledged by the recipient wireless Type 1 carrier. If errors are discovered, the wireline carriers should count the numbers as part of their own inventories.
Improved Type 1 number management is particularly crucial because unlike numbers held by most wireless carriers, Type 1 numbers are eligible for number pooling. Despite the problems with reporting, TD has identified 28 blocks of Type 1 numbers in the area code that may be eligible for donation to the pool.
As described in Chapter 1, state and federal mandates require most companies to demonstrate efficient numbering practices before becoming eligible to obtain more numbers. In contrast, Type 1 wireless carriers have no check on their number use because they draw numbers directly from wireline companies, therefore avoiding the scrutiny of the official number administrator.
TD recommends that Type 1 wireless carriers be subject to number conservation measures, and the CPUC should develop a system to ensure compliance. Wireline carriers should perform a one-time inventory check of wireless Type 1 numbers to verify their records match that of the wireless Type 1 carriers' records. Companies should make inventory data available to the CPUC upon request.
Wireline carriers should recover and add to their inventories any Type 1 numbers lying dormant. A system to ensure compliance with Type 1 number conservation measures should be developed. Excess and unused Type 1 numbers should be returned to the wireline carriers and either used to serve customers or donated to the number pool. The data analyzed in this utilization study was self-reported by companies. First, verifying number usage data is important to ensure that the public resource of telephone numbers is efficiently managed.
Many of the recommendations in Chapter Two resulted directly from the analysis of the utilization data and address actions that the CPUC should undertake to make additional numbers available for either pooling or for the regular monthly lottery. The recommendations contained in this chapter suggest additional conservation measures as required by Public Utilities Code Section a. When applied, these conservation measures would result in uniform policies which will cause companies to use numbers more efficiently across California and would minimize customer confusion.
Number pooling is an excellent method of number conservation. The CPUC worked aggressively to bring number pooling to California and the results have been dramatic. Pools are underway in the , , , , , , and area codes and six additional pools are scheduled to begin in Number pooling has avoided the need to open prefixes and therefore has extended the life of area codes.
Prior to pooling, prefixes would have been opened in the eight area codes mentioned above. Pooling benefits not only the public but the companies as well by reducing the time necessary to acquire numbering resources. Without pooling, activating new numbers takes at least 66 days. So far in California, number pooling has worked well because companies have met their numbering needs from the excess numbers other companies donate to the pool.
The CPUC has set aside prefixes in each area code that will be used to replenish the pools if and when donations are no longer sufficient. There are a limited number of set aside prefixes, so it is crucial that these prefixes be opened only when there is truly a need. If donated numbers are not sufficient to meet the companies' forecasts, a new prefix may need to be opened.
Industry guidelines suggest replenishing a pool at least 66 days in advance when the forecast shows a company will need more numbers than the pool has on hand. This presents a problem, as companies in California have been, on average, forecasting over six times more numbers than they will take from the pool. Had the pool administrator opened prefixes based on the forecast, the prefixes would lie unused in the rate center. However, the CPUC believes this issue should be addressed for the long term.
Industry guidelines encourage companies to over-forecast, because a company can only be assured numbers for which it forecasts. Since there is no penalty for over-forecasting, it is in companies' interests to err on the side of over-forecasting.
TD also recommends that the PA take historical usage into account when determining when to open a fresh prefix of 10, numbers. Full LNP deployment in the area code is critical to effective number conservation. As described in Chapter 1, LNP enables customers to keep their telephone numbers when they switch companies. Because the number remains with the customer and can be transferred to different companies, there is no need to distribute duplicate numbering resources to both companies.
Also, LNP is the technology platform that makes number pooling possible. The study revealed that all but two wireline carriers in the area code are LNP capable.
These companies hold 99, numbers that could be made available for number pooling, if they implemented LNP technology. Wireless carriers hold prefixes in the area code, of which blocks could be made available for pooling if they were required to participate in the pool. But roughly half of the area codes in California fall partially or completely outside of these MSAs.
These area codes are facing similar numbering crises, and LNP is not ordered. Without full activation of LNP throughout California, the CPUC is prevented from operating number pools effectively in half of the area codes in the state. Unassigned Number Porting UNP is the term used to describe the transfer of unused numbers from one company to another.
Like number pooling and the porting of assigned numbers from company to company, UNP is made possible by deployment of LNP. The primary benefit of UNP would be increased access to unused numbers stranded in carrier inventories. UNP would also strengthen competitively neutral access to public numbering resources by enabling companies with smaller inventories to access the inventories of companies with larger number holdings.
UNP would allow companies to transfer small increments of numbers between themselves. Various proposals have suggested limiting the increments to 25 or numbers. In areas without number pooling, prefixes held in company inventories that are not put to use within six months must be returned, but only if uncontaminated. If just one number has been used, the remaining 9, are stranded in the company inventory.
For example, if a company receives numbers and only has need for numbers, the remaining numbers are eligible for return. However, if a company received numbers and only has need for numbers, the remaining numbers are ineligible for return and are stranded in the company inventory.
UNP is one way to address the problem of stranded numbers. Rate Center Consolidation RCC is a potential number conservation tool because it allows companies to use numbers over a larger geographic area, thus slowing the rate at which prefixes are used. Rate center location dictates both the scope of a customer's local calling area and the charges assessed per toll call. In California, each rate center governs a relatively small, uniform local calling area, measured from the rate center of each exchange.
Because the local calling areas in California are small compared to those in many other states, it is virtually impossible to migrate to larger calling areas via consolidation of rate centers without eliminating at least some toll call routes. Eliminating toll routes would have the residual effect of reducing revenues for toll service providers, which include both local exchange carriers and interexchange carriers.
The two major ILECs in California, Pacific Bell and Verizon formerly GTE California , have expressed at industry meetings their belief that they should be "made whole" for any loss of toll revenues that likely would result from consolidating rate centers. However, it is difficult, if not impossible for the CPUC to address consumer and revenue impacts if the CPUC has no plan before it for consolidating rate centers, which would provide the context and details for assessing such impacts.
California has roughly rate centers, each of which is the approximate center of a mile local calling area. With no input from the industry, the CPUC cannot begin to guess what approach would be most appropriate. For example, California could consolidate from rate centers to , or to Each of those possibilities would present different rate "impacts" for both companies and customers.
Alternatively, rather than attempting to consolidate rate centers on a statewide basis, the CPUC could consider consolidating rate centers on an area code-by-area code basis. All rate centers in one area code, for example, could be consolidated into one rate center. We asked ourselves why are they. You've successfully subscribed to Project Hatch. Next, complete checkout for full access to Project Hatch. Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.
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What is number and where is it coming from? Where is area code ? Are calls from area code a scam? How do I block unwanted calls from ? If you keep on receiving unwanted calls from numbers and would want to block them, here's a quick procedure on how: iPhone users; First, go to your recent calls Click the "i" with a circle around it and scroll to the bottom Lastly, click "block this caller".
Android users; The procedure is quite similar from the iPhone users, Go to your recent calls and click "details" For the last step, click "block number" then you are done. Are calls from numbers toll free? Conclusion It is worth to note here that it is important to not easily give away your personal information to unknown callers. Richard Bagnell. Your email address Subscribe. Please check your inbox and click the link to confirm your subscription.
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