ARCHIVED - Decision CRTC 2001-216
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Decision CRTC 2001-216Ottawa, 6 April 2001 Reference: 8698-C12-15/01 To: CISC Canadian Steering Committee on Numbering (CSCN) distribution list, and potential competitive local exchange carriers
As you are aware, two Canadian area codes, 416 and 905, have recently been in a jeopardy situation. Area code 647 was introduced on 5 March 2001 to provide relief for area code 416. On 9 June 2001, the new area code 289 will be introduced to relieve area code 905. Both area codes 416 and 905 have been subject to code conservation measures intended to ensure that sufficient central office codes remain in each area code to meet demand until the relief area codes are in place. The declaration of a jeopardy condition in an area code involves the suspension of normal central office code assignment procedures as set out in the Central Office (NXX) Code Assignment Guidelines. Once a new area code has been opened for assignment, these new resources are available to meet immediate demand. Any central office codes remaining in the original area codes however, are still a valuable resource for service providers operating, or intending to operate, in the area in which relief has been implemented. Access to codes from the original area code assists to level the competitive playing field by ensuring new entrants are able to meet customer requirements in both the new and old area codes. In addition, this practice also ensures that existing subscribers that choose to become customers of a future new entrant are able to have a certain level of their growth requirements met in the existing area code. The Commission is of the preliminary view that new entrants should continue to have access to a certain quantity of central office codes in the original area code, for some period of time following relief. To this end, the Commission considers, on a preliminary basis, that these future new entrant pools should be maintained for the immediate future. Taking into account the needs of existing customers and existing service providers however, the Commission considers, on a preliminary basis, that establishing permanent pools of central office codes to be set aside for future new entrants might contribute to the premature exhaust of available numbering resources in these regions. Therefore, the Commission proposes that, following the implementation of relief in an area code, a reasonable number of central office codes from the original area code should be set aside for use by future new entrants. The size of current or recommended pools of central office codes set aside for future new entrants will be taken into consideration when the Commission determines how many codes should reasonably be set aside for future new entrants in the original area code following relief. In the case of the 416 and 905 area codes in particular, the Commission proposes that 10 central office codes in area code 416 and 30 central office codes in area code 905 be set aside for future new entrants. These numbers are based on the number of central office codes that were set aside during the jeopardy situation for these area codes. Immediately following the implementation of relief, all other remaining central office codes, with the exception of those set aside for use by future new entrants, would be made available for assignment on a first come, first served basis as per the criteria set out in the Canadian Central Office (NXX) Code Assignment Guidelines. The pool of central office codes set aside for assignment to future new entrants would be maintained for two years following the relief date of the area code that has been subject to jeopardy code conservation measures. After this two-year period has lapsed, all remaining assignable codes would be released for general assignment under the Central Office (NXX) Code Assignment Guidelines. In certain instances, the Commission has already provided a determination as to how the remaining central office codes within an area code are to be assigned. In Order CRTC 2000-786, for example, the Commission directed that all central office codes remaining in area code 604 following relief be used to meet demand in the outlying portions of area code 604 that are not part of the "concentrated overlay" area. The measures outlined in this letter are not intended to alter area code specific determinations already made by the Commission but are, rather, to be used in situations where the Commission has not provided specific direction regarding the assignment of central office codes remaining in an area code following relief. The Commission invites parties to show cause within 21 days of the date of this letter as to why the measures described above should not be implemented following relief of area codes that have undergone jeopardy code conservation measures. All parties must serve a copy of their comments, by the date indicated, on all other parties on the CISC CSCN distribution list (see www.cnac.ca/cscn_pl.htm) and potential competitive local exchange carriers (see www.crtc.gc.ca/ENGpublic/lplist/Proplec.htm). All parties may file reply comments within 7days following the conclusion of the comment period above. Sincerely,
Ursula Menke cc Brenda Stevens (819) 953-8882 Date Modified: 2001-04-06 |
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