[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 84 (Wednesday, June 28, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1135]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED 
                   AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. MICHAEL E. CAPUANO

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 26, 2000

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4690) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and 
     State, the Judiciary, and related agencies for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes:

  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my amendment to the 
FY 2001 Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations bill to help address the 
area code crisis that we are facing in America. Since 1995, we have 
added 95 new area codes in the United States. At our current pace, some 
estimate that we will run out of area codes entirely as early as 2007. 
If we run out of available numbers, your constituents will foot the 
estimated $150 billion bill.
  The problem is not that there aren't enough numbers out there, it's 
that tens of thousands of numbers are being unused. Unfortunately 
companies have been forced to take numbers in blocks of 10,000--even if 
they were only going to use a handful of the numbers. The rest of the 
numbers just sit unused.
  In Massachusetts, the problem has become quite large in the last few 
years. In 1998, we added two new area codes in the state--781 and 978--
for a total of five area codes. At the time, we were assured that these 
new codes would last for many years and we wouldn't have to go through 
this disruptive process again. Unfortunately, less than two years 
later, we were informed that these new codes were running out of 
numbers already and that we would have to add four new codes in Eastern 
Massachusetts alone. Now the area code in Western Massachusetts is also 
in jeopardy. If we add all of these new codes, we'll have ten area 
codes in a state that had only three codes less than five years ago.
  While the FCC has recently moved to reduce the amount of numbers 
companies can take from 10,000 to 1,000, the same companies will not 
have to fully comply with the order until 2002. The wireless providers 
have an even longer time to make this change. My amendment asks the 
Commission to look at the possibility of shortening the timeline for 
the implementation of this order. If we wait for two more years, we may 
have added dozens of new area codes that are not needed.
  The amendment also offers several other suggestions that I believe 
the FCC should consider as they produce this study. These include 
encouraging states and telecommunications companies to work together on 
rate center consolidation plans. Some believe that the number of rate 
centers in certain areas is significantly contributing to the overall 
area code crisis. While I know this is a complicated issue, and there 
may be valid concerns about the cost, the Commission should study the 
issue closely.
  In addition, my amendment asks that the FCC address the issue of 
technology-specific area codes reserved for wireless/paging services or 
data phone lines. As more and more Americans take advantage of the new 
technologies available, more and more telephone numbers must be set 
aside for these services. There may be an opportunity to ease the 
numbering problem by reserving specific area codes for these new 
technologies.
  If none of these suggestions offer a real solution to the problem, my 
amendment asks that the Commission study the costs and technological 
problems of adding an additional digit to existing phone numbers. This 
should focus on any potential ways to minimize the impact and cost on 
consumers and the business community.
  Mr. Chairman, I believe this is a common-sense amendment to help us 
deal with the area code crisis. We must act quickly to address this 
issue. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.




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