PUC Suspends Plans for ‘Overlay’ Area Codes

State regulators formally suspended plans for all “overlay” area codes in California, including those earmarked for Orange County’s 714 region and for the 408, 415, 510, and 650 regions in Northern California. The California Public Utilities Commission also suspended an overlay area code for communities in San Bernardino and Riverside counties covered by 909, but reiterated its plan to split the region geographically and add a new code. With an overlay plan, a new area code is added to simultaneously serve the same geographic region as the original code. That forces residents in the region to dial area codes on local calls. In September, the PUC rescinded an unpopular overlay area code slated for Los Angeles’ 310 region and mandated special number-sharing measures that could delay the need for new codes. In the 909 region, the PUC said it will delay the action on boundary lines for the split.