Area code meetings start today

Greg Risling

NEWPORT-MESA -- There is some good news and some bad news regarding a

possible new area code in Orange County.

The good news is that millions of unused numbers in the 310 area code

have been discovered, eliminating the need for a proposed 11-digit

overlay and leaving room for the possibility that the same scenario could

happen here.

The bad news -- although not altogether dire -- is that Public Utilities

Commission officials are continuing to explore an additional area code in

Orange County. Public meetings on the issue start today.

“There is no question having a new area code is a major hassle,” said

Newport Beach City Manager Homer Bludau. “We want to make our preferences

known, which is keeping the 949 area code.”

The North American Numbering Plan Administration, which tracks and

studies prefixes and area codes, has proposed splitting the 949 code,

which was added in 1998. If the number of prefixes in 949 continue to be

gobbled up at a rapid rate, a new area code would be needed by 2002.

Despite the recent news that phone companies were hoarding millions of

nonissued numbers, the importance of the public’s suggestions hasn’t been

diminished.

Spokeswoman Kyle DeVine of the Public Utilities Commission said the

unused numbers in the 310 area code, a region that was threatened with a

proposed 11-digit overlay, will hopefully slow the amount of numbers

needed by phone companies.

“Number conservation should be used as much as possible,” she said. “But

we also need to have a backup plan. This is the public’s chance to tell

us what that backup plan should be.”

Because of overwhelming demand for cellular phones, pagers and computer

modems, new area codes have been sprouting up all over the state. Three

years ago, there were 13 area codes in California. Today, there are 25.

That number is expected to jump to 40 by 2002.

Local government officials voiced their concerns last month at a series

of meetings. Costa Mesa, which is now split by two area codes, asked that

949 be retained for the entire city. But city officials know the

discussion won’t go away any time soon.

“This will be around for a long time to come,” said Jerry Verwolf, Costa

Mesa’s telecommunications manager.

Public meetings will be held at the following times and locations:

* 1 p.m. today at Lake Forest City Hall.

* 7 p.m. today in San Juan Capistrano, at the community center.

* 10 a.m. Thursday at Laguna Beach City Hall.