"In an unusual move, the California Public Utilities Commission has agreed to reconsider its four-month-old decision to create a 442 area code for North County." -- The San Diego Union-Tribune, 8/26/08

"We urge the PUC, after holding new hearings next week in Victorville and Carlsbad, to take the next step and do the right thing for business owners and consumers by keeping the 760 in San Diego County." -- The San Diego Union-Tribune, 8/28/08

Let's Keep Area Code 760!

On April 24, 2008, the California Public Utilities Commission voted to remove a significant portion of San Diego County from the 760 area code, against the recommendation of the impartial North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA). Starting this November, all of us in the affected region will be forced to switch to area code 442. (A list of affected phone number prefixes is here.)

We think NANPA's original recommendation of an area code overlay makes the most sense and inconveniences the fewest people. In an overlay, those of us who already have 760 phone numbers would keep them and only new customers in the 760 area would be assigned the 442 area code.

Your "Keep 760" emails at work

Our Last Chance to Keep 760 is Thursday, September 4, in Carlsbad!

As a direct result of your "Keep 760" emails, the California Public Utilities Commission has broken with tradition and decided to hold two new public participation meetings on its decision to split the 442 area code from 760 in north San Diego County!

One meeting will be in Victorville on Wednesday, September 3 and the other will be in Carlsbad on Thursday, September 4.

Victorville Meeting:
September 3, 2008
Victorville City Hall
Council Chambers
14343 Civic Drive
Victorville, CA 92393
4:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Carlsbad Meeting:
September 4, 2008
Carlsbad City Hall
Council Chambers
1200 Carlsbad Village Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92008
4:00 pm to 7:00 pm

The September 4 Carlsbad meeting will be a very rare opportunity to finally make your voice heard by the CPUC and urge them to adopt the more sensible overlay plan. The more people who show up in favor of the overlay at both meetings, the better our chances of succeeding!

The CPUC plans to issue a decision on the Keep 760 matter very quickly -- by mid-October. Here are the key elements of their ruling, which can be downloaded here:

Two public participation hearings will be held – one on September 3rd in Victorville and one on September 4 in Carlsbad.
The CPUC Public Advisor shall direct the carriers notify customers of the upcoming hearings by means that are “efficient and effective in reaching the largest numbers of customers”. Electronic and internet-based notifications are encouraged.
Comments on the Petition are due on September 2
Reply comments are due on September 5
The Proposed Decision is to be prepared and mailed on September 16, 2008, for consideration by the Commission at its October 16, 2008 meeting.
Carriers should continue network preparations necessary for implementing permissive dialing on November 8, 2008.
However, carriers are directed not to mail customer notices of the initiation of permissive dialing, pending further ruling or order of the Commission.

A Petition for Modification and a Stay asking that the 442 Split decision be postponed until it is re-evaluated were filed with the CPUC on Friday, August 15 by David Wright Tremaine LLP on behalf of Assemblyman Martin Garrick and the Chambers of Commerce of Carlsbad, Encinitas, Escondido, Oceanside, San Marcos and Vista.

The Petition makes a very compelling argument for an overlay and explains how the CPUC's original decision was based on erroneous and misinterpreted information.

You can download the filed documents here:

• Petition For Modification (3.4MB .pdf document)
• Motion for a Stay of the 442 Split decision (260k .pdf document)
• Motion to shorten the CPUC's response time to the Motion for a Stay (128k .pdf document)
• Notice of Availability of the Petition for Modification (93k .pdf document)

Over the past few weeks, there has been a tremendous amount of behind-the-scenes activity on the "Keep 760" front. The results are encouraging.

Many regional elected officials responded to the over 5000 "Keep 760" emails by signing an urgent letter asking the CPUC to reconsider its decision. But 74^th District State Assemblyman Martin Garrick, a former North County businessman, has personally taken up our cause with great energy, enthusiasm and political savvy. Several weeks ago, Garrick and his staff decided to spearhead a campaign to get the CPUC's unfortunate 442 Split ruling changed.

In addition to several strategy sessions with Keep760.org, Garrick has personally met or talked with all five CPUC commissioners, bringing them copies of "Keep 760" fact sheets describing the sheer volume of letters from residents dissatisfied with the decision, all asking for an overlay instead of a split. Additionally, he hand-carried letters from mayors, city council members and chambers of commerce, all citing the inordinate, unnecessary costs of the 442 Split, estimated at nearly $75 million.

Garrick also shared with the CPUC commissioners several less-obvious complications that will result if the 442 Split occurs, involving Kid-Safe programs, pet identity chips, senior adult ID registries for dementia, emergency contact notification, estate planning documents, medical alert ID tags, and many others.

On Monday, August 11, Garrick and a highly regarded San Francisco telecommunications attorney conducted a conference call with phone and cable service providers, including AT&T, Verizon and Cox. Despite having already invested in the mandated 442 Split, the majority of the providers agreed to support our efforts-- provided that action was taken very soon. The petition and other documents were filed with the CPUC on Friday, August 15, 2008.

Keep760.org will continue to keep you updated here as the situation develops.

Click here to send a "Keep 760" email to our elected representatives.

Your comments will now be sent to the elected officials who haven't yet signed the urgent request letter to the CPUC, with the request that they help persuade the CPUC to reconsider its flawed decision. The emails will also be copied directly to the CPUC.