Area-code central has a lot clout

By JOHN VAN DOORN - Staff Writer | Wednesday, August 27, 2008 12:33 AM PDT ∞

In case North County is tempted to believe that the dustup over area codes ---- splitting 760 and naming part of it 442 ---- is merely a personality conflict between the California Public Utilities Commission and Scott Chatfield, be informed, please, that it is much more than that.

With all respect to the important roles that Mr. Commission and Mr. Chatfield are playing, the drama includes entire nations, and touches on a very famous continent. Bigger than these, AT&T (properly referred to, in those days, as American Telephone & Telegraph, spelled out) was, in the beginning, a key player.

The beginning was 1947. That's when AT&T developed the North American Numbering Plan. The idea was to "simplify and facilitate direct dialing of long-distance calls."

As with most plans, it took four years, well into 1951, before it became a facilitator, but when it did, it was a doozy.

It became area-code central for not merely the United States but also for U.S. territories and countries, plus Canada, Bermuda, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turks & Caicos.

It was called, with crystalline logic, the North American Numbering Plan. And everybody cooperated, and have done so all these years, and not a single invasion has been required.

Within that designation lies a sort of offspring called the Numbering Plan Area code, which has evolved as "area code."

Naturally, there are formulas for giving out the three-digit area codes. There was built-in flexibility, too, so that if an area code got clogged up, or was sure to, another code could be assigned.

Fast forward to 2008 and consider the number 760, which itself is an area-code split from 619, into which it is too cumbersome to delve except to state the obvious: 619 is a truly dumb number; it has no grace, no panache, no lilt. In short, it works for the city of San Diego.

Just as 760, bright, sunny, sophisticated, tan and upbeat, has worked for North County. So why dilute it with a shot of 442?

Because 760 no longer can handle the load, carry the weight, perform as it used to; how charmingly human of it. The number 442 comes then as a savior number, a facilitating number as the North American Numbering Plan folks phrased it so long ago.

The number has no special meaning, spiritual, political, intellectual or funsy-wunsy, so far as is known. It was its time, said a spokesguy for the North American Numbering Plan.

Of the numbers still available, and you'd have to figure there are thousands, 442 was chosen because it is unlike adjacent codes in the region, thus relatively safe from misdialing and other failures in phone behavior and decorum.

You could look it up: 440 is in Ohio, 441 in Bermuda, 443 in Maryland. The North American Numbering Plan people don't like confusion, and that's why 442 is coming out here.

Back to the Public Utilities Commission and Scott Chatfield. It lives in Sacramento. He lives in Leucadia. He is by profession a music producer.

But the impending fiddling with the area codes troubles him. He spearheads the drive against 442 with a group, not to say cell, called Keep 760, and a Web site: www.keep760.org.

On Chatfield's side are many business people. They make the case that a change will cost them money ---- all letterhead, for example, will require re-doing, as will business cards, invoices, the works. In a land known for its mountainous paperwork, their arguments are quite pointed and real.

The commission's willingness to listen is in the American tradition. Mr. Chatfield's determination to be heard is, too.

Two hearings are set for this week, after which North County will rest content with good ol' tried and true 760, or wrestle with the newcomer 442, which probably didn't ask for this assignment.

Where is Don Ameche when you need him?

Contact columnist John Van Doorn at (760)739-6647 or jvandoorn@nctimes.com.

Contact columnist John Van Doorn at (760)739-6647 or jvandoorn@nctimes.com.

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