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Congratulations, we got to Keep 760! |
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No Area Code 442 Split for San Diego County!
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"I have voted against this decision because... overlays are the technology-friendly, cost-efficient and least disruptive solution for area code relief." --CPUC Commissioner Timothy Alan Simon, April 24, 2008, "...The non-elected members of the California Public Utilities Commission voted 4-1 to carve most of North County east to Julian and Borrego out of the 760 telephone area code it was saddled with in 1997. We didn't like the move to 760 then; we don't like giving it up now, either." --North County Times editorial, April 25, 2008 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happened? We won! On October 16, 2008, the CPUC voted 5 to 0 to reverse course and adopt an overlay in the 760 area code instead of the 442/760 split they had previously mandated. Thanks to your letters, motivating the efforts of Assemblyman Martin Garrick and his staff, the near-impossible has been achieved. Read the San Diego Union-Tribune and North County Times reports on our overlay victory. 760/442 OVERLAY TIMETABLE
(The following is information from before the CPUC's October 16, 2008 decision in favor of the overlay:) How did this all start? According to projections, the 760 area code (the state's largest) will run out of numbers in late 2009 if nothing is done. On April 24, 2008, the California Public Utilities Commission voted to remove a significant portion of San Diego County from the 760 area code. Starting this November, all of us in the affected region will be forced to switch to area code 442. The CPUC's vote went against the recommendation of the impartial North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), which was given 30 days by the CPUC to put its decision into action. Cities affected are Borrego, Carlsbad, Encinitas, Escondido, Fallbrook, Julian, Oceanside, Pauma Valley, Pendleton, Ramona, San Marcos, Valley Center, Vista, and Warner Springs. Of the five non-elected CPUC commissioners, only one voted against the split. You can read Commissioner Timothy Alan Simon's short dissent here. Will both my land line and cell phone numbers be changed? Yes, if the CPUC gets its way. But they fumbled badly on this point-- first the CPUC told us that cell phone numbers wouldn't be affected, then on July 1 they reversed themselves. An official list of affected phone number prefixes can be found here. When is the 442 Split supposed to take effect? Consumers are scheduled to begin dialing the new 442 area code on November 8, 2008, and will be required to do so on May 16, 2009, after which the 760 area code will no longer work for the 442 Split area. But because the CPUC is now reconsidering its decision, they've told the phone companies to hold off notifying customers of the 442 Split until their final decision is made. On September 16, they issued a Proposed Decision in favor of an overlay-- the final vote is scheduled to take place October 16. Why is an overlay the best solution? An area code overlay 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. (One negative effect of an overlay is that all calls within the 760 that could be previously reached with seven-digit dialing would require 10 digits.) A clear-headed case for the overlay is laid out in Commissioner Simon's brief dissent-- a very enlightening read. Why was the overlay recommendation rejected by the CPUC in favor of the 442 Split? The CPUC says it was because of the sheer size of the 760 area code. They also say that those of us in the affected area are more used to dialing the required 10 digits from one area code to another because there are already so many different area codes in San Diego County (619, 760 and 858). The split would allow people in less densely populated areas (such as Mammoth Lakes) to retain their seven-digit dialing capabilities. Why wasn't I notified and allowed to voice my opinion about this change? In February, 2007, public meetings were held in four Southern California cities; Apple Valley, Carlsbad, El Centro and Palm Springs. The CPUC says they made an effort to notify the public, but it's being argued that the meetings were poorly publicized in advance. 99% of people sending "Keep 760" emails say they had no idea about the change until after the decision was made. And only one of the forums, Carlsbad, was held in the affected 442 Split area. But, as a result of thousands of "Keep 760" letters sent, the CPUC held two new public hearings in which an overlay was advocated by 99% of those who appeared. What happened at these meetings? The CPUC says they received 1300 comments-- 601 in favor of the 442 Split, 163 for a split with different geographic boundaries, and 261 in favor of the overlay. But dissenting Commissioner Simon smelled a rat: "When I met with parties on both sides of the debate, the singularly resonant message that I heard was, 'Whatever you do, just let me keep my 760 area code!' Accordingly, I consider Split Alternative I [the 442 Split] pandering to the misguided belief of residents that they will retain the incumbent 760 area code." In other words, the questions were loaded. It's worth noting that the number of people sending in "Keep 760" emails supporting the overlay is already more than four-and-a-half times the total number of responses the CPUC says they received. What are the some of the financial consequences of the 442 Split? Commissioner Simon says it best: "I am concerned that splits place enormous burdens on small businesses and the customers of small businesses, to the extent that those costs must be passed on through higher prices. At a minimum, these avoidable costs include reprinting telephone numbers on stationery, business cards, advertising materials, fleets, and other business-promotional signage. Further, the potential that businesses could lose their connection to former customers is significant." Given our current economic situation, the CPUC's ill-considered decision will hit us even more severely. The estimate of direct financial costs is nearly 75 million dollars. Is it too late to do anything about the 442 Split? Thanks to your "Keep 760" emails, we've now got a good chance of keeping 760! See below... What is Keep760.org's strategy? Phase One was sending thousands of "Keep 760" emails to our elected officials, asking them to get the CPUC to reconsider its 442 Split decision. Besides sending my "Keep 760" email, is there anything else I can do to help keep 760? At the Carlsbad public hearing on September 4, Commissioner Timothy Simon urged people to speak at the CPUC's October 16 meeting in San Francisco. I need to make decisions soon about incorporating the new area code in my business materials. What should I do? We should know fairly soon if our efforts will succeed; the extraordinary "second chance" public meetings have been held. The CPUC issued a proposed decision in favor of an overlay on September 16 and will make its final decision at its October 16 meeting, after which the matter will be finally decided. Who will receive my "Keep 760" email? Your new "Keep 760" email asking commissioners to vote for the Proposed Decision will go to the CPUC, Administrative Law Judge Bushey and Keep760.org. Your email address will not be used by any third parties or sent to anyone else. |
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We won! |
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Relevant Links:
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Contents ©2008 Keep760.org, except where noted. All rights reserved. Contact us at "email[at]Keep760.org"
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