Search

ARCHIVED - Telecom Decision CRTC 2004-52

This page has been archived on the Web

Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. Archived Decisions, Notices and Orders (DNOs) remain in effect except to the extent they are amended or reversed by the Commission, a court, or the government. The text of archived information has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Changes to DNOs are published as “dashes” to the original DNO number. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats by contacting us.

Archived

This page has been archived on the Web.

 

Telecom Decision CRTC 2004-52

  Ottawa, 29 July 2004
 

Reclamation of central office code 330 in area code 819

  Reference: 8698-C130-200405508
  In this decision, the Commission approves the Canadian Numbering Administrator's proposal to reclaim stranded central office code 330 in area code 819, which will resolve the local dialing plan conflict that exists in the Moose Creek, Ottawa/Hull and Cornwall exchange areas.
 

The application

1.

The Commission received a recommendation by the Canadian Numbering Administrator (CNA) dated 22 April 2004, proposing to reclaim central office code (NXX1) 330 in area code 819. NXX 819-330 is a stranded code2 that is causing a local dialing plan conflict in the Moose Creek, Ottawa/Hull and Cornwall exchange areas.
 

Background

2.

On 10 October 2000, NXX 330 in area code 819 was assigned to AXXENT Corp. (AXXENT) to serve subscribers in Ottawa/Hull.

3.

In 2001, AXXENT went out of business and AXXENT's subscribers were notified that AXXENT's voice network would be discontinued, effective 15 August 2001. Prior to the disconnection of AXXENT's voice network, a number of AXXENT's subscribers ported their telephone numbers to Bell Canada. After the disconnection of AXXENT's voice network, the NXX assignment records continued to reflect AXXENT as the NXX holder. In accordance with section 11.5 of the Canadian Central Office Code (NXX) Assignment Guidelines (the Guidelines), the CNA designated NXX 819-330 as stranded.

4.

In CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee - Consensus items, Telecom Decision CRTC 2002-39, 10 July 2002 (Decision 2002-39), the Commission approved consensus report Numbering resource holdership and transfer of holdership in the event of a business failure (CNRE025A), dated 17 April 2002, submitted by the Canadian Steering Committee on Numbering (CSCN). CNRE025A set out new procedures to be followed by the CNA with respect to stranded NXXs and the transfer of NXX holdership in the event of a business failure. Pursuant to Decision 2002-39, these new procedures were incorporated into the Guidelines.

5.

The new procedures set out in the Guidelines were introduced in order to reduce and eventually eliminate the unnecessary costs and lost network efficiencies caused by stranded codes throughout North America. The new procedures set out the process to be followed to address situations where an NXX becomes stranded, ensuring that, among other things, the North American Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG) reflects accurate rating, routing and NXX assignment information. Until the LERG is updated with accurate NXX assignment information, calls will continue to be routed to a switching entity and a telecommunications service provider (TSP) that no longer exists, which results in inefficient network routing. When an NXX is identified in the LERG as a stranded code, all TSPs originating a call to the stranded code must invoke a local number portability database dip in order to properly route the calls. Since TSPs pay for each database dip, stranded codes frequently escalate the costs of routing calls. The Industry Numbering Committee and the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee (CISC) CSCN reached a consensus that these unnecessary costs should be eliminated.

6.

While assessing options on how to address stranded NXX 819-330, the CNA became aware that the assignment of the NXX to AXXENT had caused a local dialing plan conflict. The CNA discovered that subscribers in Moose Creek, Ontario, area code 613, had a local calling area that encompassed both the Ottawa/Hull and Cornwall exchange areas, and that calls dialled to NXX 330 were routed to Cornwall. The CNA also became aware that NXX 330 was assigned to AXXENT in area code 819 in Ottawa/Hull and to Bell Mobility in area code 613 in Cornwall.

7.

The CNA indicated that some TSPs had not provided the CNA with copies of their tariff indicating their local calling area, and that consequently it was unaware of the potential for a local dialing plan conflict in the affected areas.

8.

On 9 January 2004, the CNA notified Bell Canada that it intended to recommend to the Commission that NXX 819-330 be reclaimed. The CNA indicated that a report requested in September 2003 from the Number Portability Administration Centre Administrator showed that three subscribers that ported their service from AXXENT to Bell Canada before AXXENT's voice network was disconnected had 13 telephone numbers that were still active.

9.

The CNA proposed that if Bell Canada requested the three affected subscribers to undertake a telephone number change to a different Bell Canada NXX in the Ottawa/Hull exchange area the CNA would be able to reclaim stranded NXX 819-330. The CNA stated that transferring the affected subscribers to telephone numbers from another NXX in the exchange area would allow the CNA to protect NXX 819-330 from a future assignment within the Ottawa/Hull exchange area, eliminating the possibility of a future local dialing plan conflict between the Moose Creek, Ottawa/Hull and Cornwall exchange areas.

10.

On 11 February 2004, Bell Canada responded to the CNA's request, stating that it agreed with the CNA's proposal. Bell Canada advised the CNA that it would implement the telephone numbering changes of the three affected subscribers, subject to such reclamation being acceptable to the Commission.

11.

Bell Canada advised the CNA that it would attempt to make the telephone numbering changes needed to reclaim NXX 819-330 in a manner that minimized the inconvenience to the affected subscribers. Bell Canada submitted that this would require meeting with the affected subscribers, providing reference of calls where necessary, and selecting an implementation date that ensured that the affected subscribers' new telephone numbers would be published in the next telephone directory after the change was made. Bell Canada noted that the next directory closing date was October 2004, with delivery scheduled for January 2005.

12.

On 6 April 2004, Bell Canada sent a proposed plan and a schedule regarding the reclamation of NXX 819-330 to the CNA. On 19 April 2004, Bell Canada forwarded the proposed plan and schedule to the Commission.

13.

Bell Canada submitted that telephone numbering changes are addressed under Article 14 of Bell Canada's Terms of Service, approved by the Commission. Bell Canada noted that under Article 14, it can change a customer's telephone number, provided it has reasonable grounds for doing so and has provided reasonable advance written notice to the customer, stating the reason and anticipated date of the change. Bell Canada submitted that its proposed schedule allocated appropriate periods for it to advise the affected subscribers of changes to their telephone numbers and for these subscribers to notify their callers that their telephone numbers would be changed. Bell Canada also proposed to provide a reference of calls free of charge for a period of approximately four months from the date that the telephone numbers were changed.
 

Commission analysis and determination

14.

The Commission notes that the first step in the stranded code reassignment process set out in the Guidelines is for the CNA to ask each TSP operating in the same exchange as the stranded code whether it is interested in becoming the code holder of the stranded NXX, thus becoming the entity of record in the LERG and allowing subscribers to retain their telephone numbers. The Commission notes that in the case of NXX 819-330, the reassignment of the stranded NXX to allow subscribers to retain their telephone numbers would not alleviate the local dialing plan conflict in the Moose Creek, Ottawa/Hull and Cornwall exchange areas.

15.

The Commission notes that in the case where local calls are dialed on a seven-digit basis, all calls automatically terminate within the callers' area code. In this case, subscribers in Moose Creek that dial a 330 telephone number without an area code have all those calls terminate to the Bell Mobility NXX in Cornwall. The Commission notes that the only way in which a Moose Creek customer could successfully call a telephone number in NXX 819-330 would be on a 10-digit dialing basis. The Commission notes that it has received a recommendation from the CISC regarding the implementation of 10-digit dialing in area codes 613 and 819, which projected that 10-digit dialing would not likely be implemented until the fourth quarter of 2006.

16.

The Commission acknowledges that every call dialed to a stranded NXX results in a database dip with an associated cost for the originating TSP. The Commission further acknowledges that by permitting subscribers in NXX 819-330 to retain their telephone numbers, TSPs in North America will continue to bear the costs of database dips on calls to NXX 819-330, and the LERG will continue to remain inaccurate.

17.

The Commission notes that a TSP cannot be assigned a new NXX until the 10,000 telephone numbers in the NXX block currently assigned to the TSP is projected to exhaust. Therefore, if NXX 819-330, which only has 13 telephone numbers in use, were reassigned to another TSP, that TSP must assign the remaining unused 9,987 numbers in that NXX before it can be assigned an additional NXX. The Commission is of the view that the assignment of more telephone numbers from NXX 819-330 by a TSP will further compound the local dialing plan conflict, increasing the likelihood of misrouted calls in the Moose Creek, Ottawa/Hull and Cornwall exchange areas.

18.

The Commission is of the view that assigning the remaining unused 9,987 numbers in the 819-330 NXX block would not only inconvenience new subscribers, but would also inconvenience telephone users in Moose Creek that tried to call a 819-330 telephone number and residents of Cornwall that were assigned a 613-330 telephone number, due to the misrouting of calls. The Commission is of the view that reassigning NXX 819-330 to another TSP would increase the local dialing plan conflict. The Commission therefore agrees that NXX 819-330 should be reclaimed, rather than reassigned.

19.

The Commission acknowledges that the CNA's proposed solution to the local dialing plan conflict would introduce some level of disruption for the three subscribers affected by a change of their telephone numbers. The Commission notes, however, that telephone numbers are public resources, and as such are not owned by any person or entity. The Commission further notes that this concept is clearly stated in the Guidelines and in the incumbent local exchange carriers' Terms of Service, reflecting the non-proprietary aspect of telephone number assignments.

20.

The Commission notes that under Article 14 of its Terms of Service, Bell Canada can require a customer to change its telephone number, provided that Bell Canada has reasonable grounds for doing so. Article 14 stipulates that in such cases, Bell Canada is required to fulfill the following obligations:
 

14.1 Subscribers do not have any property rights in telephone numbers assigned to them. Bell Canada may change such numbers, provided it has reasonable grounds for doing so and has given reasonable advance written notice to the customers in question, stating the reason and anticipated date of change. In cases of emergency, oral notice with subsequent written confirmation is sufficient.

 

14.2 Whenever Bell Canada changes a customer's telephone number on its own initiative, it must, unless there are insufficient central office terminations available, provide reference of call service without charge until termination of the customer's service or distribution of updated directories for that district showing the new number, whichever occurs first.

21.

The Commission notes that Bell Canada has proposed to meet with the three affected subscribers to explain the situation. The Commission also notes that Bell Canada indicated that it would ensure the subscribers' new telephone numbers are included in the next directory release, and provide reference of calls at no charge from the date of the number change until 3 February 2005, the end of the directory delivery date.

22.

In light of the above, the Commission approves the CNA's proposal to reclaim stranded NXX 819-330, which will resolve the local dialing plan conflict that exists in the Moose Creek, Ottawa/Hull and Cornwall exchange areas.
  Secretary General
  This document is available in alternative format upon request and may also be examined at the following Internet site: http://www.crtc.gc.ca

________________________

Footnotes:

size="2"> 1 An NXX is the first three digits following the area code in a 10‑digit telephone number (123‑NXX‑4567), where X can be any number between 0 and 9 and N can be any number between 2 and 9.

2 An NXX with working or ported numbers becomes stranded if the telecommunications service provider (TSP) who holds the NXX ceases to operate in the exchange area where the NXX is assigned, and no action is taken to transfer the NXX to another TSP. The CNA is responsible for designating an NXX as stranded.

Date Modified: 2004-07-29

Date modified: