Section 374:59 Telephone Number Conservation and Area Code Implementation Policy Principles. - New Hampshire Statutes

   I. In this section:
      (a) ""Commission'' means the public utilities commission.
      (b) ""Geographic split'' means the division of an area code into typically 2 areas each served by its own area code.
      (c) ""Overlay'' means the addition of a new area code serving the same geographic area as the existing area code.
   II. The commission should promote and adopt telephone number conservation measures to the maximum extent allowed by federal law for area code 603 and any subsequently assigned New Hampshire area codes.
   III. The commission should adopt measures, to the maximum extent allowable by federal law and availability of technology, to provide that all customers of all suppliers have equitable access to all currently available unassigned telephone numbers and equitable access to numbers that have not been assigned to a customer which are available for porting to a second supplier. Blocks of telephone numbers that are currently assigned but may be retrievable if thousands number block pooling becomes available should be assigned on an equitable basis to all suppliers.
   IV. The commission should adopt measures, to the maximum extent allowable by federal law and availability of technology, to provide for local number portability by all suppliers of local exchange service.
   V. To the extent that any one competitor is responsible for managing a pool of numbers which is to be assigned to customers of that competitor and other competitors, the commission should adopt policies to require that the assignment and management of the numbers be kept segregated from the marketing portion of that competitor.
   VI. When determining whether to implement a new area code via geographic split or overlay the commission should consider, but not be limited to, the following criteria when determining the public interest:
      (a) Which method best minimizes customer disruption from having to change numbers;
      (b) Which method is the least costly for business and residents;
      (c) Which method best minimizes customer confusion;
      (d) Which method is the least costly for providers to implement;
      (e) Which method most effectively conserves the total pool of telephone numbers once a new area code is created;
      (f) Which method minimizes geographic controversy;
      (g) Which method is most equitable to every resident and business in New Hampshire;
      (h) Which method minimizes repeating the disruption of area code changes in the future;
      (i) Which method best ensures public safety;
      (j) Which method is more competitively neutral; and
      (k) Which method utilizes best available technology and comprehensive telecommunications planning.

Source. 1999, 126:2, eff. June 10, 1999.