Decision CRTC 2001-525
Ottawa, 27 August 2001
Ron Conners
North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA)
NeuStar Inc.
1120 Vermont Ave., NW
Suite 550
Washington, DC
20005
Re: American Samoa's application to join the North American Numbering Plan (NANP)
Dear Mr. Conners,
On 14 May 2001, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) received your request for input relating to American Samoa's application to join the North American Numbering Plan (NANP).
In its deliberations on this matter, the CRTC considered the following:
The arguments presented by the Governor of American Samoa in the application dated 23 March 2001;
The recommendation of the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee - Canadian Steering Committee on Numbering contained in its letter to you of 12 July 2001; and
The Commission's previous position with regard to Guyana's application to join the NANP, which included support of an FCC suggestion that a moratorium on all such applications be put in place until such time as the NANP format is expanded and additional numbering resources are available.
The Commission is of the view that as a US Territory, American Samoa should be permitted to join the NANP, but would not support the assignment of a dedicated NPA to American Samoa. The Commission is extremely concerned over the uncertainty that exists with regard to when the NANP will exhaust. At this time, the Commission believes that the assignment of a unique NPA to a new nation wishing to join the NANP would set a dangerous precedent and could negatively affect the ability of an existing NANP nation to meet its future requirements in a pre-NANP expansion environment. The Commission is of the view that American Samoa could share an under-utilized US assigned NPA which would foster greater utilization of NANP resources, while protecting the future needs of current NANP nations, until such time as additional resources are available within the NANP.
In summary, the Commission supports American Samoa's entry into the NANP, but opposes the assignment of a unique geographic NPA to American Samoa.
Sincerely,
Ursula Menke
Secretary General
Date Modified: 2001-08-27
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