Maine delegation urges preservation of statewide 207 area code
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207 Beer Co. in Brewer is one of many Maine businesses that capitalize on the state's iconic area code.
Amid projections that Maine's single 207 statewide area code could be exhausted by 2024, Maine's congressional delegation is pressing the federal government to "explore all possibilities" to preserve the number.
"In Maine, our single area code is both a cultural touchstone and a matter of efficiency," they write in an Aug. 11 letter addressed to Jessica Rosenworcel, acting chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission.
"On behalf of residents and businesses across our state, we urge the Commission to explore all available possibilities — of which there are many — to avoid the exhaustion of the 207 area code."
The one-page missive is signed by U.S. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, and U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, and Jared Golden, D-2nd District.
They go on to note that Maine has had a single area code since 1947, leading to the use of 207 as a shorthand for Maine's identity, with businesses and organizations across the state using the three digits in their branding.
"In short, for Mainers, 207 is synonymous with their home state, and it would be a great disappointment to lose this one-to-one like — especially if it can be reasonably avoided," they write.
Under current FCC rules, phone numbers are allocated to phone providers in blocks of 1,000, but carriers often leave many numbers in a block unused. For several years, there's been concern about the depletion of 207 numbers.
The 207 area code is currently projected to be exhausted in 2024 despite only 37% of 207 phone numbers currently in use, according to a Thursday news release issued by the lawmakers.
Thursday's letter comes on top of a petition from the Maine Public Utilities Commission asking the FCC to direct the North American Numbering Plan to report on the technical, operational and costs requirements to implement number optimization measures in the 207 area code.
In their missive to the FCC, the lawmakers contend that Maine businesses frequently omit the area code when displaying their phone number on signage and advertising, so introducing an additional area code would create substantial inconvenience for consumers and economic costs for businesses.
"We believe Maine is in a position to trial number organization strategies and prevent the exhaustion of area code 207," they conclude.
Ongoing investigation
The letter comes less than two weeks after the Maine PUC opened an investigation into phone numbering practice at Verizon Wireless related to concerns about exhausting the 207 area code.
"Maine's 207 area code is dwindling rapidly, and while there may be a time when Maine has to accept a new area code, it would be a shame for one company's practices to. hasten that time if it has no actual need for the numbers," PUC Chairman Philip L. Bartlett II said in opening the probe. "Based on data we have received, Verizon may be using unrealistic forecasting goals, unnecessarily tying up available phone numbers."
That investigation directs Verizon Wireless, a division of New York-based Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), to provide the commission with detailed information including available phone numbers and percentage use in all rate centers, along with a detailed explanation of why forecasted growth is greater than historic growth.
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There is a reason why numbers are assigned in blocks of 1000. If they could easily be assigned one by one, don't you think that already would have been done? Almost every state has had area code relief. So sad that Maine residents would be so traumatised, when there were so many survivors in other states.
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