June 1995
The Federal Communications Commission has acted to protect the toll free 800 number industry and consumers and businesses who want to continue to be able to sign up for 800 number service. Under a new plan implemented by the Commission in June, new numbers are available; check with your long distance or local telephone company or with other carriers.
The Commission's plan for 800 number assignments allows 28,000 new 800 numbers to be assigned each week, the same number the industry was using just a few months ago. Service for current 800 number users will not be affected. If you have an 800 number, or call one regularly, that number will not be affected.
Database Service Management, Inc. administers the database of toll free 800 numbers. One hundred thirty-eight organizations are certified as "Responsible Organizations," meaning they can take 800 numbers from that database and provide these numbers to long distance and local telephone companies that, in turn, provide service to end users (consumers and businesses). In addition, some RespOrgs are telephone companies that also offer 800 service.
The Carrier Liaison Committee, an industry committee, oversees the 800 number process. Last year, the industry projected that given the industry's assignment rate of 30,000 new 800 numbers each week, the existing supply of toll free numbers would run out, or "exhaust," in the fall of 1996. The industry arranged to deploy a new toll free area code, 888, in April 1996.
This spring, assignment rates for 800 service increased dramatically and the industry realized that the supply of 800 numbers could run out before the new 888 numbers were available. During the week of June 6, 1995, approximately 113,000 new 800 numbers were assigned. This left only 600,000 remaining numbers which, at a rate of 100,000 per week, would run out in July 1995.
The industry asked the Commission for help in returning to its original usage rates, in order to conserve the existing numbers until the new 888 numbers were able to be deployed. In response, the Commission imposed a cap of 28,000 numbers per week, in keeping with the industry's original projections.
Within this overall cap, each RespOrg receives a base allotment of 25 new 800 numbers each week and the remaining 800 numbers are allocated based on the market share of the 800 service providers. For example, those service providers who have been very active in the 800 number business get a larger share of the weekly allotment than those providers who do very little business in this area. This means that customers can go to their existing service provider, rather than trying to find a service provider with an extra number.
This cap is an extraordinary, temporary measure designed to ensure continuous service for new toll free telephone number customers until the new, 888 database can be deployed. If the FCC had not acted, existing 800 numbers would have run out as early as July 1995, and no new numbers would have been available until the new database was up and running.
The Commission is also working with the industry to identify ways to accelerate deployment of the 888 database so that it could be available sooner than the April 1996 date, so that customers can begin using the new 888 numbers as soon as possible. The Commission has also shortened the amount of time an 800 number is kept out of use after being returned to the database so that numbers can be recycled more quickly.
The Commission and the industry are taking all appropriate steps to ease the transition to the new toll free area code and to encourage more efficient use of these numbers. For example, consumers might notice more use of PIN numbers or menus directing you to a specific choice, as opposed to a separate 800 number for each item or service within a company. These arrangements maximize the use of any one telephone number. These toll free telephone numbers are a scarce public resource. The goal of this conservation plan and the goal for planning for the new 888 area code is to make the most efficient and fair use of these resources.