ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 187

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED DECEMBER 15, 1997

By Assemblyman WISNIEWSKI

An Assembly Resolution memorializing the Federal Communications Commission to take immediate action to revise the method by which telephone numbers are assigned to telephone companies, thereby reducing the need for additional area codes.

Whereas, The increasing demand for additional telephone numbers by consumers and the method by which telephone numbers are currently assigned to telephone companies is resulting in an almost continuous assignment of additional areas codes throughout the nation, and in New Jersey alone the number of areas codes assigned to the State will double in a two-year period; and

Whereas, Currently a telephone company is assigned telephone numbers in blocks of 10,000 even if that company needs significantly fewer than 10,000 numbers, thereby inflating the number of phone numbers assigned and increasing the need for additional area codes; and

Whereas, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which is responsible for determining how telephone numbers are assigned to telephone companies, was recently sent a Pennsylvania plan to break up the 10,000 number blocks by which telephone numbers are assigned to avert the need for additional area codes by North American Number Council, an advisory council to the FCC, which supported the plan, but sent to the issue without recommendation to the FCC because the council's vote was not unanimous; and

Whereas, The assignment of a new area code is not just an inconvenience, but a burden on businesses which must change stationary and signs and other advertising and all appropriate steps must be taken to impose this burden only when necessary; and

Whereas, It is altogether fitting and proper for this House to call upon the FCC to take immediate action to revise the method by which telephone numbers are assigned to telephone companies, thereby reducing the need for additional area codes; now, therefore,

    Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. The Federal Communications Commission is memorialized to take immediate action to revise the method by which telephone numbers are assigned to telephone companies, thereby reducing the need for additional area codes.

    2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested to by the Clerk thereof, shall be transmitted to the commissioners of the Federal Communications Commission.

STATEMENT

    This resolution memorializes the Federal Communications Commission to take immediate action to revise the method by which telephone numbers are assigned to telephone companies. Currently telephone numbers are assigned to telephone companies in blocks of 10,000 numbers even if the company needs significantly fewer than 10,000 numbers. If the FCC were to allow telephone numbers to be assigned in smaller blocks, such action would reduce the need for additional area codes.

Memorializes FCC to change method of assigning telephone numbers to telephone companies.