GATINEAU – The supply of telephone numbers out west (in the 780, 250 and 403 area codes) are drying up.
So today, the CRTC asked the public for help. The Commission issued two public notices seeking comments on proposed relief plans dealing with the declining supply of numbers in those Alberta and B.C. area codes. The relief plans propose measures to prevent area codes and their regions from running out of numbers.
In Alberta, the proposed relief plan is for the whole province, therefore customers in both area codes 403 and 780 could be impacted. In British Columbia, the proposed relief plan is for the 250 area code region, which includes British Columbia outside of the 604 coded Lower Mainland.
However, depending on the relief measures implemented, customers in the Lower Mainland, served by area codes 604 and 778 could also be impacted.
It is forecast that the affected regions will run out of numbers by January 2008 for area code 250; October 2009 for area code 403; and November 2010 for area code 780.
A number of committees have been created to assess the various options for providing additional numbering resources and to make recommendations on the best approach to be taken for each area code, says the Commission, which has presently received the Initial Planning Documents prepared by these Committees.
Anyone wishing to examine the full text of the Initial Planning Documents may do so by clicking here.
Comments should be filed with the Commission by February 8, 2007.
