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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.1 NewAreaCodeAlternatives -- . . .". '!. CITY CLERK File # []fOlQ]~-w~ AGENDA STATEMENT CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: October 15, 1~ 1l1crtp SUBJECT: Presentation of Proposed New Area Code Alternatives Being Discussed For The Region Currently Covered By Area Code 510 ~(Report Prepared By: Paul S. Rankin, Assistant City Manager) EXlllBITS ATTACHED: 1. Maps and Serving Area Descriptions. (Note a more precise map with City of Dublin Boundaries will Be Available At The Meeting) 2. Draft Letter To The Public Utilities Commission and Area Code Relief Coordinator RECOMMENDATION: .~ Review and provide input on the proposed alternatives. Authorize the Mayor to send a letter stating the City of Dublin position. FINANCIAL STATEMENT: The City along with most members of the business community will incur printing related costs associated with the change in area codes reflected on printed materials. DESCRIPTION: Telecommunication providers have been impacted by the increasing use of equipment which requires connection to the telephone system. A single Area Code has a capacity of approximately 7.9 million numbers. In order to account for disconnects and number changes only approximately 5.5 million of the munbers are assigned at anyone time. The industry has begun the process of devising a plan for a new Area Code for the existing 510 Area, and is seeking public comment on the proposed alternatives. There are several factors which have affected the growth in the number of telephone numbers assigned. The existing 510 Area Code was introduced in 1991 and it is currently projected to reach capacity by the third quarter of 1998. Among the factors affecting the number of telephone numbers assigned are: growth in cellular telephone and pager users; computer modem connections, including AlM's and retail check- out counter automated payment systems; increases in residential customers selecting a second line; etc. This trend has occurred statewide and the telephone industry must plan for the introduction of several area codes within a short period oftime. Administrative Process Used To Establish New Area Codes The process of assigning Area Codes obviously needs to be well coordinated in order to assure that callers worldwide can reach a particular telephone number. The initial steps are an effort coordinated by the industry and then subject to regulatory approval by the California Public Utilities Commission. Pacific Bell has been assigned the responsibility as the Area Code Relief Coordinator. They assume this role as ------------------------------------------------------------------- COPIES TO: H. Hescox, Area Code Relief Coordinator Dublin Chamber of Commerce ITEM NO. fi. I H1ADMINSVClagAreaCd.doe the largest service provider in the State~ However, the proposed plan is developed with input and"'. :;~,~;.' contributions from representatives throughout the industry (Le. GTE, and others) Once a plan is developed and approved at the State Public Utilities Commission (PUC) level, the Area Code Coordinator must submit the documentation and request to an Administrator for the North American Numbering Plan. _ . Provided all iteJ:nS'are in order this entity would then assign the Area Code. .....) .... . The industry planning group is attempting to secUre public input before a plan is actually submitted to the PUC. To further this effort they conducted a meeting on September 19, 1996, for local jurisdictions to obtain information about the proposals being studied. City Staff attended the meeting and has also conducted further analysis with the Area Code Relief Coordinator, to determine the impacts on the City of Dublin. . The industry is also conducting a series of public meetings throughout the region to obtain input on the plans being considered. The final public meeting will be Thursday, October 17, 1996 at the Pleasanton Library at 7:00 p.m. Due to the fact that there is a definite need for a new area code to properly serVice this region in the future, the industry planning group is attempting to develop a plan for submittal to the PUC by November 1996. In the event that a consensus plan cannot be reached, the PUC would be presented with the information gathered and the choice is, made by the PUC. It is anticipated that the earliest that the new Area Code could be operatiOnal is April 1998, assuming that significant delays are not encountered in the Administrative Review and Approval process. . Efforts Taken To Minimize The IlllPact of An Area Code Chanie There are numerous State as well as Federal laws which regulate the provision of telephone services. Many of the legal requirements are intended to protect the interests of the consumer during these transition periods. Telecommunications representatives emphasized the following points related to the timing and impact of an Area Code Change. .... .:.... -::;.'~ ' · The earliest that the new Area Code could be in place would be April 1998. , . The PUC will accept public testimony and comments related to the change. . ' State laws require that the charges for local area calls be based on distance. Therefore, the change in Area Code will not affect the cost of a call. · Permissive Dialing - For 6 months after the new Area Code goes into effect, telephone numbers in the new area code can be reached by dialing sUther the' old QI, . the Dew Area Code. · At the end of the 6 month Permissive Dialing period (described above), calls going to the old area code receive a recording. Although the time frame for the actual changes is well into the future, it is important for the City to direct input early in the process. Factors Considered In Selectitli The OeoiI'8Phic Area To Receivl; A New Area Code The industry representatives explained to Staff that there are several criteria considered in selecting boundaries for a new Area Code. They recognize that the process results in disruption to customers, . however, the demand for Dew telephone connections mandates that there be a means to accommodate the '. .../. future customers. The list of items whicb they attempt to look at include the following: . . : . . .' .-....,:... . . .- .". ~ . Maintaining communities of interest. . Jurisdictional boundaries and legislative district lines. . School District boundaries. . N aturallandmarks and geographic features. . Minimizing the impact on the current customer base. . Current wiring and telephone connection infrastructure. Obviously, when a geographic area under one Area Code is split, some customers have the benefit of retaining their existing Area Code. At the meeting held for jurisdictions the question was raised as to how it was decided as to which area receives the "New" Area Code. The planning process includes projections of how long a particular geographic region can continue before another split would be required. The Area which is projected to need a new Area Code in the shortest time frame retains the "Old" Area Code. Again, a critical consideration is to allow for the least disruption to the customer. Among the alternatives currently under review the area which will remain S 1 0, is projected to require another Area Code split in 5.5 to 8.5 years. The area proposed to be covered by the "New" Area Code is not projected to require a change for 11 to 15.5 years. Impact of Current Wire Center Service Areas The assignment of telephone numbers is also liked to the physical infrastructure used to provide telephone service. . This imposes certain barriers to the ability to strictly follow jurisdictional lines in selecting regions to be served by a particular Area Code. A "Wire Center" is a hub which connects sub.regions within an Area Code. Currently the majority of the City of Dublin is serviced by the San Ramon Wire Center. When boundaries were considered for the Alternatives under review, all areas serviced by the same Wire Center were assigned to the same Area Code. All telephone prefixes are assigned to a specific Wire Center. For example, the 829 prefix is assigned to the San Ramon Wire Center and the 447 prefix is assigned to the Livermore Wire Center. Changes in the Wire Center assigned would not only impact the telephone service provider, but also all of the customers. The prefix would need to change which would result in an entire telephone number change for affected customers. As will be discussed in the Alternatives presented, the linking of Dublin and San Ramon has a very direct impact on the boundaries proposed for the new Area Code. Alternatives For Area Code Boundaries There are currently three alternatives being presented as part of the Public Input Process. (See Exhibit 1) It should be noted that Alternative 2 has been withdrawn by the Industry as they foresaw implementation difficulties in meeting conditions applied by the PUC. This alternative is referred to as an Overlay, which results in the existing 510 Area Code remaining intact Once new numbers were needed they would begin to assign the new Area Code. This could result in two telephones within the same house or building having different Area Codes. Also, an overlay requires that the users dial both the Area Code and the 7 digit number on all calls. , Alternative 1 is described as the North/South split. As shown on the map in Exhibit I, the majority of the City of Dublin is combined with Contra Costa County, to form the area to receive a new Area Code. The boundary shown for the City of Dublin is related to the Wire Center Service Area issue discussed above. This proposal would result in the City of Pleasanton and Livermore retaining the 510 Area Code, along with the 1-880 Corridor extending generally from Albany to Fremont. - Alternative 3 generally incorporates Contra Costa County and Eastern Alameda County. The general dividing point for Alameda County is the ridgeline. This keeps intact the Tri - Valley cities under the same Area Code and appears to be the preferred Alternative. CitY of Dublin Considerations The Area Code Relief Coordinator encouraged the City to fonnally submit comments on the alternatives. Staff has prepared a Draft Letter to parties responsible for the planning process. (Exhibit 2) The general ..,_ concerns noted are'that Alternative 1 does not fully reflect the uCommunity of Interest" in this region. A.-. :./:;" number of efforts have been Wldertaken to jointly work with the Tri- Valley cities. Further, a closer.:' examination of the area serviced by the San Ramon Wire Center shows that the current City Limits are . split between the two Area Codes. Although there may only be a limited number of customers in the affected area at this time, it would be detrimental to assign two area codes to residents within a City the size of the City of Dublin. .t~..,.,,<,'t:~.~:m'~:; ";1~<." A similar issue arises with the Wire Center Service Area adjacent to the existing western City Limits. Unfortunately, both Alternative 1 and Alternative 3 result in two Area Codes, when the proposed' Schaefer Ranch Annexation is added to the cwrent City boundary. At the present time all of the current City Limits in the Western hills of Dublin are served by the San Ramon Wire Center. However, based upon preliminary analysis it appears that the proposed developed areas of the Schaefer Ranch annexation would lie in the Hayward Wire Center territory. Staff believes that it is imperative for Pacific Bell and the providers to seek alternatives that would not split the City into two Area Codes. Additionally there are Administrative Implementation issues stated in the Draft Letter. A change in ~e Area Code will significantly impact the physical routing of emergency 911 calls to the designated Public Safety Answering Point (pSAP). Cwrently the PSAP serving the City of Dublin is in San Leandro as all Police and Fire calls are dispatched by Alameda County Sheriff's Department Communications Center. The telephone industry advised that there are not any technical problems with this type of routing and it is successfully completed in other parts of the State such as the Los Angeles basin. They assured Staff that . this ~ of change receives a ~t d~ of attention in the e~gineering ~d implementation stage. Staff .:> has mcluded a comment on this ISsue m the Draft letter to reinforce the lDlportance of proper . ," implementation. GonclusiotJ.. Staff would recommend that the City COWlcil review the issues presented, provide input on any modifications to the Draft letter; and authorize the Mayor to execute the letter on behalf of the City. ." 0" New 510 Area Code .-- .. Maps and Serving Area Descriptions Alternative 1: Split North/South Alternative 2: Overlay Entire 510 Area Code e-:.. Alternative 3: Split East/West with Subsequent Overlay of 51 0 Area Code e:. -" l EXHIBIT 1 CONCORD ORINDA u SF BAY 510 OAKLAND DUBLIN HAYWARD PLEASANTON SUNOL 415 FREMONT 408 Projected to Run Out of Numbers by Mid 1998 510 AREA ~ BRENTWOOD . . CONCORD DUBLIN BRENTWOOD New Area Code u SF BAY 209 510 HAYWARD PLEASANTON SUNOL 415 FREMONT 408 Proiected Life 510 Area Code: SY2. 6Y2 Years New Area Code: 13. 1SY2 Years 510 AREA Alternat1ve 1 e-::--. Split North/South I}; b SF BAY 209 e:.. 415 510 AREA Alternative 2 e.:. Overlay Entire 51 0 Area Code y CONCORD New Area Code DUBLIN HAYWARD PLEASANTON 415 408 Proiected Life 510 Area Code 7 . 8Y:z Years New Arr.:::J. Code: 11 .13 Years 510 AREA Alternative 3 e:. . ,- Split East/West with Subsequent Overlay of 510 Area Code 6 BRENTWOOD 209 New 510 Area Code Serving Area Descriptions .: Alternative 1 N Split North/South I The following areas would keep the 510 Area Code: · Alameda · Albany · Berkeley · Castro Valley · Emeryville · Fremont · Hayward · Livennore ** · Newark · Oakland · Pleasanton ** · San Leandro · San Lorenzo · Sunol** · Union City ** These 3 cities would be assigned a new area code under Alternative 3. . Thefollowing areas would be assigned a New Area Code: . Alamo . Hercules . Antioch . Kensington . Bay Point . Lafayette . Bethel Island . Martinez . Bishop Ranch . Moraga . Blackhawk . Oakley . Brentwood . Orinda . Clayton . Pinole . Concord . Pittsburg . Crockett . Pleasant Hill . Danville . Richmond . Diablo . Rodeo . Dublin . San Pablo . EICerrito, . San Ramr.n . EI Sobrante . Walnut Creek .- ... . ", ro New 510 Area Code Serving Area Descriptions e::. Alternative 2 - Overlay Entire 510 Area Code I With this alternative, a new area code would be placed over the existing 510 area code. The two area codes would have the same geographic boundaries. Alternative 3 w Split East/West with Subsequent Overlay 01510 Area Code .';" . . Thefollowing areas would keep the 510 Area Code: · Alameda · Albany · Berkeley · Castro Valley · Emeryville · Fremont · Hayward . Newark · Oakland · San Leandro · San Lorenzo · Union City Thefollowing areas would be assigned a New Area Code: . Alamo . Lafayette . Antioch . Livermore ** . Bay Point . Martinez . Bethel Island . Moraga . Bishop Ranch . Oakley . Blackhawk . Orinda . Brentwood . Pinole . Clayton . Pitts burg . Concord . Pleasant Hill . Crockett . Pleasanton ** . Danville . Richmond . Diablo . Rodeo . Dublin . San Pablo . EI Cerrito . San Ramon eo::' . EI Sobrante . Sunol** . Hercules . Walnut Creek . Kensington rJ ** These 3 cities would keep the 510 area code under Alternative 1. .. . , New Area Code Geographic Split . Advantaees: . Customers will be able to retain 7 -digit dialing within the home area code. . Customers who know the location they are calling can predict the correct area code. Disadvanta2:es: . Some customers will have to take a new area code. . Stationery, business cards, and advertising will have to be updated. . New boundary lines may disrupt communities of interest. . New geographic boundaries will have to be learned. .' HO -1 t! e.. ..:.. .. .. If ,.. New Area Code Overlay Advanta2es: . All existing customers keep their area code. . There is no split of cities, communities or legislative districts, etc. . It leaves the existing geographic area intact and avoids shrinking the area code. . . Stationery, business cards and advertising will NOT have to be changed. Disadvanta2es: . Customers will require education on overlays. . It creates the potential for two area codes in the same home or business. . This is a New Concept - It places two area codes in one geographic region; the new one will be less familiar to customers. . 1 + 10 Digit Dialing is required on all calls. HO-2 _~. _..~""~._~'__.___.:-~~~~_~~_.. ...... .. .~':.-...~~~':J"!~Ib.~ ~ _._~~..","""",,;:~....~...._~..--..._.._, " October 15, 1996 Chief Telecommunications Branch-CACD California Public Utilities Commission 505 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, California 94102 California Code Administration Attn: H. Douglas Hescox 2600 Camino Ramon, Room 2S450DD San Ramon, California 94583 .'..... ,. RE: Proposed Alternatives For New Area Code Boundaries in the Existing 510 Area Code Gentlemen: This letter is presented on behalf of the Dublin City Council, to request changes to the Alternatives under discussion, prior to assigning Area Code boundaries which affect our jurisdiction. The specific responses relate to the Alternatives discussed by the California Area Code Relief Coordinator, at public meetings in September and October of 1996. The City of Dublin objects to the boundaries contained in Alternative 1 (North / South Split). First, it fails to recognize a well established community of interest in the Tri-Valley area. The cities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, San Ramon, and Danville have direct interaction on a variety of issues. Alternative 1 assigns the City of Dublin (which is located in Alameda County) to an area comprised of Contra Costa County cities. This destroys the continuity developed among the five cities and further separates Dublin from all of the cities in Alameda County. The second major concern is that the Alternative 1 results in two Area Codes within the City of Dublin. Property in the eastern portion of the current Dublin City Limits, is included in the Livermore / Pleasanton 510 Area Code. The third concern is that Alternative 1 does not appropriately address future changes to the City of Dublin boundaries. A pending annexation on the western edge of the current City of Dublin, would not be accommodated within the same Area Code. This annexation (Schaefer Ran... cove.rs approximately 500 acres and is scheduled to be presented to the Local Agency Formation Commission in.>,_ commg months. - ., -- Alternative 3 results in fewer concerns to the City of Dublin. However, Alternative 3 does result in the same conflict with the pending annexation along the western City of Dublin boundary. It would seem to be the preferable alternative, in the event that the service providers could alter their Wire Center routing to maintain one Area Code for the City of Dublin. The assignment of multiple Area Codes to community the size of the City of Dublin does not make common sense. This would continue to hold true in the extended future, when the City reaches it estimated build-out population. The City of Dublin also believes that it is imperative to assure that all 911 and Public Safety Answering Point (pSAP) connections shall be coordinated with the change in Area Code. All public Safety Dispatch and PSAP services, are currently provided by an Alameda County Sheriff's Department facility in the City of San Leandro. This area is proposed to remain in the 510 Area Code, while Dublin would be in the new Area Code. It is recognized that industry representatives understand the critical nature of changes to these systems. The intent in mentioning them at this time is to underscore the importance of proper implementation. On behalf of the entire City Council we appreciate the opportunity to present these concerns at this time. Given the impact of the proposed changes we would respectfully request modifications to the current alternatives to address these issues. Sincerely, DRAFT e-. Guy S. Houston, Mayor cc: City Councilmembers Richard C. Ambrose, City Manager Cities ofDanville / Livermore / Pleasanton / San Ramon EXHmIT 2 10