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New Area Code Possible in Wayne County The Public Service Commission (PSC) held an informational meeting at the Old Courthouse on May 7 to discuss the Relief Plan of options of Wayne County seeing a new area code. The Federal Communications Commissions North American Numbering Plan says New York's 315 area code will run out of available numbers by 2010. The PSC has been traveling across the area seeking the publics opinion as to the best relief plan option. The Department of Public Service has offered four options for the citizens consideration. The easiest plan for the PSC is the overlay plan which merely adds an additional area code over the current 315 region. The additional area code provides a whole new batch of assignable numbers that can be given out as new service requests are being taken. Existing customers would not be required to change their phone number or area code. The downfall to this easy implementation is that individuals would then be required to dial an eleven digit number even within the same area code and even within the same office building. With the use of modern technology and cell phone use, this really seems to be a minor change in the overall scheme of things. However, this could be confusing if you are trying to dial a (previously) seven-digit address for the Village Hall and now an 11-digit dialing is now necessary. A call without the '1-315' would not be able to be a completed. The future benefit to this option is that once again when the number bank runs low, they can simply assign a new overlay area code to the region. According to the PSC, by adding a new area code, it allows for 7,919,900 new assignable phone numbers. The remaining three optional plans are geographical splits that would divide the current 315 area into two zones where one zone would keep the area code with no change and the other would be assigned a new area code. All existing customers who are in the region would retain their current seven digit telephone number. Option One of this split is to be divided into two sections north and south. The southern section of this line would keep the 315 number and the northern section would receive the new one. Wayne County is in the southern region of this split. Option Two provides for a geographic split dividing the area into an east/west section. The areas lying to the west of the proposed boundary line would keep the 315 number and the areas lying to the east would receive the new number. Wayne County is in the western region of this split. Option Three is similar to option two, however provides a different boundary line. Wayne County remains in the same section. There are multiple advantages to the geographic split. The phone service customers are already acquainted with locality identification and it would allow for only half the users to be affected by the change. The disadvantages to this type of split would require the 1.5 million home and business phone service users to adopt a new area code and perhaps change any documentation that has the phone number printed on it which may be costly. The split would require these users to have to have their mobile devices reprogrammed to the new number assigned. For each option, there are certainly some great advantages to some service users, but definitely a large change to those who must accommodate to the new number. It appears that from the proposed plans, Wayne County is only slightly effected by the change. The Administrative Law Judge assigned to the case will make a decision on who actually gets to retain their '315' status. The decision is intended to be made later this year, with the actual implementation of the chosen plan to be within the next two years. Wayne County has been a 315-er for 50 years, when the North American Numbering Plan was implemented to assist with direct dialing of long distance calls. The 10-digit number begins with an area code, then a three digit call center code and a four digit station code. This plan was begun by AT&T in 1951. Currently, 315 services 19 counties across Central and Upstate New York. The plan accommodates new service requests for anywhere from 18-39 years before they would potentially exhaust a new relief plan would have to be devised. For further info, call the Public Service Commission at 800.335.2120 or via Internet at The Public Service Commission will be accepting comments on this case until May 23. When calling, please mention Case 07-C-1486, 315 Area Code.
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