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ARCHIVED - Telecom Decision CRTC 2004-55

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Telecom Decision CRTC 2004-55

  Ottawa, 18 August 2004
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Relief plan for area codes 613 and 819

  Reference: 8698-C12-16/01
  In this decision, the Commission approves a relief implementation plan (RIP) for area codes 613 and 819, as proposed by the Numbering Plan Area 613/819 Relief Planning Committee (the RPC).Specifically, the Commission approves a network implementation plan, a jeopardy contingency plan, a planning letter, and a relief implementation schedule. The approved schedule includes the phasing-in of permissive 10-digit local dialing commencing 17 June 2006 and ending 24 June 2006, and the phasing-in of mandatory 10-digit local dialing commencing 21 October 2006 and ending 28 October 2006. The Commission expects that the Canadian Numbering Administrator will advise the Commission in an expeditious fashion if its semi-annual Numbering Resource Utilization Forecast survey demonstrates an advancement in the projected dates for exhaust of available telephone numbers in area codes 613 and 819. The Commission directs the RPC to file, by 15 September 2004, a revised RIP, which must include a standard announcement text to be used by all telecommunications service providers in area codes 613 and 819 during the permissive 10-digit local dialing period and a standard announcement text to be used during the mandatory 10-digit local dialing period.

 

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Background

1.

In Establishment of a CISC ad hoc committee for area code relief planning in area codes 613 and 819, Public Notice CRTC 2001-20, 5 February 2001, the Commission established an ad hoc committee to identify solutions to the area code exhaust situation1 for area codes 613 and 819 and invited interested parties to participate in the committee's public meetings. The Commission also distributed an information bulletin to municipal governments in the regions served by area codes 613 and 819.

2.

In Providing relief for the diminishing supply of telephone numbers in area codes 613 and 819, Public Notice CRTC 2001-71, 18 June 2001, the Commission sought public input on the consensus recommendations of the Numbering Plan Area (NPA) 613/819 Relief Planning Committee (the RPC).

3.

In CRTC issues relief plans for area codes 613 and 819, Order CRTC 2001-841, 28 November 2001 (Order 2001-841), the Commission rendered a number of determinations with respect to providing relief to area codes 613 and 819. The Commission ordered that, with a limited number of exceptions, central office (CO) code protection would be removed in area codes 613 and 819 during the fourth quarter of 2004, at which time 10-digit local dialing would be introduced (phase one). The Commission also approved a recommendation to add a new area code, using the distributed overlay method, for area code 613 during the third quarter of 2008 (phase two). The Commission ordered the development of comprehensive consumer awareness programs for both phases of the relief process for area codes 613 and 819.

4.

In Order 2001-841, the Commission directed the RPC to send to the CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee (CISC), no later than 1 October 2002, the consumer awareness program regarding the removal of CO code protection and the introduction of 10-digit local dialing.

5.

On 29 November 2002, the RPC filed an application requesting that the Commission defer the relief dates established in Order 2001-841, due to 2002 forecasts, which projected the exhaust dates for area codes 613 and 819 to be significantly later than formerly forecast.

6.

In Deferral of relief dates for area codes 613 and 819, Telecom Decision CRTC 2003-10, 28 February 2003 (Decision 2003-10), the Commission approved the deferral of the phase one relief date for area codes 613 and 819 to the fourth quarter of 2006, as recommended by the RPC and approved the suspension of phase two relief for area code 613 indefinitely. The Commission also directed the Canadian Numbering Administrator (CNA) to conduct semi-annual Numbering Resource Utilization Forecast (NRUF) surveys for area codes 613 and 819 until phase one relief is implemented, after which NRUF surveys would be conducted in accordance with the Canadian NRUF guidelines.

7.

On 12 August 2003, the RPC filed a revised phase one relief implementation plan (RIP), reflecting the new relief date (fourth quarter of 2006), for CISC consideration and Commission approval. In the revised RIP, the RPC made several recommendations including:
  • phasing-in of permissive 10-digit local dialing commencing 17 June 2006 and ending 24 June 2006;
 
  • phasing-in of mandatory 10-digit local dialing commencing 21 October 2006 and ending 28 October 2006;
 
  • a relief implementation schedule, a network implementation plan (NIP), a jeopardy contingency plan (JCP), and a planning letter (PL); and
 
  • announcement texts for the permissive and mandatory 10-digit local dialing periods, with a recommendation that telecommunications service providers (TSPs) be permitted to use any of the texts previously approved by the Commission,2 and that TSPs be permitted to modify the announcements texts to suit their individual needs.

 

Commission analysis and determination

8.

The Commission notes that the exhaust dates for various area codes in Canada were pushed back during a downturn in the telecommunications industry, but that since 2003, CO code forecasts have shown an increase in demand for telephone numbers.

9.

The Commission notes that, according to the 2003 mid-year S-NRUF report, published November 2003, the last projected exhaust date for area code 819 is April 2009. The Commission is of the view that this projected exhaust date does not reflect the increasing demand for telephone numbers. The Commission notes that the CNA is currently soliciting TSPs for new forecasts in all area codes undergoing area code relief. The Commission anticipates that these new forecasts may reflect an increasing demand for telephone numbers due to new and growing services, and considers that the projected exhaust date may be advanced.

10.

The Commission considers that even if the projected exhaust date is advanced, there is a time buffer between the time of relief approved in Decision 2003-10 (October 2006) and the most recently projected exhaust date (April 2009). The Commission expects that this period of time should be sufficient to account for any significant increase in demand for telephone numbers.

11.

The Commission is of the view that the relief dates submitted by the RPC appear to be appropriate based on the information available at this time. The Commission therefore approves the phasing-in of permissive 10-digit local dialing commencing 17 June 2006 and ending 24 June 2006 and the phasing-in of mandatory 10-digit local dialing commencing 21 October 2006 and ending 28 October 2006. The Commission expects that, should the demand for telephone numbers increase dramatically, the CNA's semi-annual NRUF surveys will capture the change in the projected exhaust date. The Commission expects that, if this occurs, the CNA will advise the Commission in an expeditious fashion.

12.

The Commission notes that the RIP, which includes a relief implementation schedule, a NIP, a JCP and a PL, was developed in accordance with the directives contained in Order 2001-841 and Decision 2003-10. The Commission finds that each of these documents is consistent with the Commission's directives and consistent with the Canadian NPA Relief Planning Guidelines approved by the Commission. Accordingly, the Commission approves the relief implementation schedule, the NIP, the JCP and the PL submitted by the RPC.

13.

The Commission notes that consumer awareness programs are critical to the successful implementation of any area code relief project. Consistent with past Commission directives on this matter,3 announcement texts should provide clear and consistent information to the public during the relief process. Accordingly, the Commission directs the RPC to develop a single announcement text to be used by all TSPs in area codes 613 and 819 during the permissive 10-digit local dialing period, as well as a single announcement text to be used during the mandatory 10-digit local dialing period. The Commission directs the RPC to file a revised RIP, which includes these texts, by 15 September 2004.
  Secretary General
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footnotes:

1 An area code exhausts when no additional central office codes (i.e., the first three digits of a seven-digit telephone number) are available for assignment to a telecommunications service provider.

2From a list of announcement texts, previously approved by the Commission for other area code relief activities, including texts used in area codes 514, 604 and 905.

3For example: SAIC Canada - Request for approval of NPA 416 relief plan, Telecom Order CRTC 99-1141, 10 December 1999; New area code overlay to be introduced in 905 region, Order CRTC 2000-772, 15 August 2000; New area code overlay to be introduced in 514 region, Order CRTC 2000-1187, 22 December 2000; Order 2001-841; Area code 519 relief plan, Telecom Decision CRTC 2002-25, 22 April 2002; Approval of revised Canadian NPA Relief Planning Guidelines, Decision CRTC 2001-607, 26 September 2001; Revision requested to Canadian numbering plan area relief planning guidelines, Telecom Decision CRTC 2002-18, 10 April 2002; and Deferral of area code 514 relief date, Telecom Decision CRTC 2003-6, 14 February 2003.
  This document is available in alternative format upon request and may also be examined at the following Internet site: http://www.crtc.gc.ca

Date Modified: 2004-08-18

Date modified: