AUBURN - According to the Federal Communications Commission, the 315 area code will run out of numbers by the end of 2010.
Covering a large area of central and northern New York, including Cayuga County, and going as far west as Wayne County and as far north as St. Lawrence County, the 315 area code covers a diverse area.
Trying to find the best way to address this issue, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) has been holding public information sessions and hearings to give out information on the issue and hear the concerns of residents.
On Monday night at the Cayuga County Office Building in the County Legislature Chambers, Jeffrey Wagner, utility consumer specialist with the office of consumer services, presented the options that the PSC have created to address the number shortage and to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each option.
“We're here to educate people about what is going on,” Wagner said. “And to hear input from people of the community to decide what the best way to introduce a new area code will be while creating the least disruption for people.”
According to the PSC, area codes were introduced in 1947 to allow for direct dialing without the assistance of an operator.
Until 1985, there were seven area codes that covered New York, now there are 14. This is because of the proliferation of cellular technology, fax machines, pagers and businesses and residences that have multiple lines.
According to FCC regulations, it is not allowable to assign area codes to cellular or service-specific technology as this would be anti-competitive and would still not address number shortages in an area code.
Wagner explained that it is the three digits that follow the area code, known as central office code, such as 252 or 253 for example, that are running out within the area code.
Wagner presented the four options that the PSC have implemented in the past. The first, with three subcategories, is a geographic split that would divide the current 315 area code into two as close as possible even halves, leaving 315 in service for one and assigning a new area code to the other.
Wagner said this division could come in three different ways, east-west that would leave areas north of Auburn, such as Cato and Sterling in the new region.
A north-south split would leave areas north of Oswego County and parts of Madison in a new area code region and a north-south division along county lines would put areas north of Oswego and east of Onondaga County in a new region.
“The advantages of a geographic split are that an area would retain identification with certain locales in a single area code,” Wagner said. “That would eliminate the confusion caused by having multiple area codes in the same neighborhood. A geographic split does not require consumers to dial 11 digits in the same area code.”
This option also poses disadvantages.
“Wireless costumers would have to have their wireless devices re-programmed,” Wagner said. “Consumers would have to dial one and then the area code. And businesses that advertise would be affected, in that they would have to adjust their advertising to adopt a new area code.”
The second option is called an overlay. This plan assigns a new area code throughout a geographic region. Existing customers would not be required to change their numbers, but would be required to dial the 10-digit number even within the 315 area. This option is projected to cause area code relief for an estimated 23 to 28 years.
Wagner said the drawback to this option is that customers may find it inconvenient to dial the area code even when calling within the same area.
No matter what option is ultimately chosen, Wagner said, there is a period to account for the inconveniences and adjustments.
A six to nine-month permissive dialing period will allow calls to go through as dialed. This is followed by a mandatory dialing phase that has a recording reminding callers that they must use the area code while dialing.
Cayuga County Legislator Daniel Schuster, who sits on the planning and economic development committee, read a resolution adopted by the committee, that he said was going to go before the Legislature for approval during its May 27 meeting.
The proclamation stated the committee was not in support of the geographic division that would leave parts of Cayuga County in a new area code and that they objected to the overlay proposal, believing that it would cause confusion.
According to Schuster's statement, the committee supports and encourages the split that would divide the area code along the Oswego and Onondaga counties' boundaries, believing this would cause the least confusion and was the most viable option.
To learn more
For more information on this topic visit www.AskPSC.com Wagner encouraged residents to comment, either through e-mail or by writing to Jaclyn A. Brilling , Secretary, Public Services Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350 with comments referring to Case 07-C-1486-315 Area Code
Trying to find the best way to address this issue, the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) has been holding public information sessions and hearings to give out information on the issue and hear the concerns of residents.
On Monday night at the Cayuga County Office Building in the County Legislature Chambers, Jeffrey Wagner, utility consumer specialist with the office of consumer services, presented the options that the PSC have created to address the number shortage and to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each option.
“We're here to educate people about what is going on,” Wagner said. “And to hear input from people of the community to decide what the best way to introduce a new area code will be while creating the least disruption for people.”
According to the PSC, area codes were introduced in 1947 to allow for direct dialing without the assistance of an operator.
Until 1985, there were seven area codes that covered New York, now there are 14. This is because of the proliferation of cellular technology, fax machines, pagers and businesses and residences that have multiple lines.
According to FCC regulations, it is not allowable to assign area codes to cellular or service-specific technology as this would be anti-competitive and would still not address number shortages in an area code.
Wagner explained that it is the three digits that follow the area code, known as central office code, such as 252 or 253 for example, that are running out within the area code.
Wagner presented the four options that the PSC have implemented in the past. The first, with three subcategories, is a geographic split that would divide the current 315 area code into two as close as possible even halves, leaving 315 in service for one and assigning a new area code to the other.
Wagner said this division could come in three different ways, east-west that would leave areas north of Auburn, such as Cato and Sterling in the new region.
A north-south split would leave areas north of Oswego County and parts of Madison in a new area code region and a north-south division along county lines would put areas north of Oswego and east of Onondaga County in a new region.
“The advantages of a geographic split are that an area would retain identification with certain locales in a single area code,” Wagner said. “That would eliminate the confusion caused by having multiple area codes in the same neighborhood. A geographic split does not require consumers to dial 11 digits in the same area code.”
This option also poses disadvantages.
“Wireless costumers would have to have their wireless devices re-programmed,” Wagner said. “Consumers would have to dial one and then the area code. And businesses that advertise would be affected, in that they would have to adjust their advertising to adopt a new area code.”
The second option is called an overlay. This plan assigns a new area code throughout a geographic region. Existing customers would not be required to change their numbers, but would be required to dial the 10-digit number even within the 315 area. This option is projected to cause area code relief for an estimated 23 to 28 years.
Wagner said the drawback to this option is that customers may find it inconvenient to dial the area code even when calling within the same area.
No matter what option is ultimately chosen, Wagner said, there is a period to account for the inconveniences and adjustments.
A six to nine-month permissive dialing period will allow calls to go through as dialed. This is followed by a mandatory dialing phase that has a recording reminding callers that they must use the area code while dialing.
Cayuga County Legislator Daniel Schuster, who sits on the planning and economic development committee, read a resolution adopted by the committee, that he said was going to go before the Legislature for approval during its May 27 meeting.
The proclamation stated the committee was not in support of the geographic division that would leave parts of Cayuga County in a new area code and that they objected to the overlay proposal, believing that it would cause confusion.
According to Schuster's statement, the committee supports and encourages the split that would divide the area code along the Oswego and Onondaga counties' boundaries, believing this would cause the least confusion and was the most viable option.
To learn more
For more information on this topic visit www.AskPSC.com Wagner encouraged residents to comment, either through e-mail or by writing to Jaclyn A. Brilling , Secretary, Public Services Commission, Three Empire State Plaza, Albany, New York 12223-1350 with comments referring to Case 07-C-1486-315 Area Code
