Vancouver expected to follow Toronto’s lead in race to find more phone numbers

The group tasked with solving Canada's telephone number shortage wants Vancouver residents to begin using 10-digit dialing for local calls within two years. Public opposition to the recommendation is already mounting, but as the CRTC Industry Steering Committee (CISC) points out, the alternatives are even less attractive. Public education campaigns are expected to warm people to the idea. The CRTC issued PN CRTC 2000-36 asking for public comment on the committee's recommendation to introduce a "distributed overlay" area code within the 604 region, where numbers are forecast to exhaust in about three years - a year ahead of earlier projections. Written comments are due April 10. "We have a public notice out right now seeking public comment on four potential solutions to the 604 area code exhaust situation," says Brenda Stevens, manager of number administration in the policy, number administration and consumer branch of the CRTC. "The industry numbering committee in Canada recommended that an overlay be provided to 604 which means the new area code would just be superimposed over the existing geographic area that 604 serves and when you do that that forces 10 digit dialing." Of the four options being considered, the CISC says the overlay model is the least disruptive to customers and service providers. One option - the "municipality split" — would see a geographic split in Vancouver, with New Westminster and Vancouver retaining the 604 area code, and suburban Vancouver (including the Fraser Valley) adopting a new area code. Introducing this option, however, would result in more than a million customers receiving new telephone numbers.. A second option would see the exchange area split, with Vancouver and most of Burnaby retaining 604, and the remaining 604 exchanges adopting a new area code. This option would affect about 1.6 million numbers. The third alternative would be the most disruptive, affecting some 2.1 million customers. This option would see the existing area code split into two geographic areas, with the Vancouver exchange retaining the 604 area code, and the other communities transferring to a new code. Under this plan, Vancouver Island would switch from 250 to the new area code. Under the distributed overlay option, no number changes are required, but callers are required to dial 10 digits for local calls. The CRTC has already begun receiving complaints. One Vancouver resident says the proposed system would be a particular hardship for elderly people. "The 604 area code should be split, but why split it only in two?," S. Tietjen writes. "Why not leave Vancouver as 604, give other lower mainland areas a new code, and give Vancouver Island its own area code separate from 250? This would eliminate the need to split the codes again in 10 years and also makes sense geographically." Toronto, which is quickly running out of 416 numbers, will begin using an overlay area code (647) in March 2001. Work is also going on behind the scenes to introduce a similar solution for Toronto's 905 area code. A group called the Toronto Telecommu-nications Alliance (TTA), made up of 16 local telecom service providers and local interest groups, will work on selling the idea to the public."The main strategy of the TTA is to position the introduction of ten-digital dialing and the new 647 area code positively by celebrating Toronto's success as a growing metropolitan centre and business hub that needs increased access to additional telephone lines to meet the demand for telecommunications services in the future," its communications strategy plan states. The TTA has even launched a web site (www.addthecode.com) as part of its public education campaign, which ramps up this spring with advertisements, contests and other media events.

Vancouver expected to follow Toronto’s lead in race to find more phone numbers

News | 03/27/2000 5:00 am EST

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