Section 7943 Of Chapter 3.5. New Area Codes From California Public Utilities Code >> Division 4. >> Chapter 3.5.
7943
. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature that when the
commission has no reasonable alternative other than to create a new
area code, that the commission do so in a way that creates the least
inconvenience for customers.
(b) The commission shall request that the Federal Communications
Commission grant authority for the commission to order telephone
corporations to assign telephone numbers dedicated to mobile
telephony service and mobile data service, as defined in Section
224.4, to a separate area code and to permit seven digit dialing
within that technology-specific area code and the underlying
preexisting area code or codes.
(c) Before approving any new area code, the commission shall first
perform a telephone utilization study and implement all reasonable
telephone number conservation measures.
(d) If the commission receives the grant of authority set forth in
subdivision (b) and determines that further area code relief is
needed, the commission shall exercise the authority granted to it in
subdivision (b) unless it finds at least one of the following:
(1) Exercising the authority granted by subdivision (b) would be
more disruptive to the customers where area code relief has been
determined to be necessary.
(2) Exercising the authority granted by subdivision (b) will not
adequately extend the life of the area code where relief has been
determined to be necessary.
(e) The commission may not implement any authority granted by the
Federal Communications Commission pursuant to subdivision (b), in a
manner that impairs the ability of a customer to have number
portability.