Several wireless carriers told FCC this week they wanted to see m...

taking advantage of Dec. FCC numbering policy change that lifted previous restriction on service- specific and technology-specific overlay codes. Move allowed states to petition for such overlays and DPUC indicated it wanted to implement overlays on top of both Conn. area codes, 203 (New Haven) and 860 (Hartford), to be used for wireless and other non-geographic based services. Cingular Wireless asked FCC to dismiss Conn.’s petition without prejudice so agency could refile with more details on proposal. Cingular said it was among wireless carriers that had backed idea of “transitional” overlay under certain conditions to make sure numbers were available to carriers not involved in pooling and to provide more flexibility for area code relief. But it said DPUC petition “does not contain specific information to determine whether it gives proper weight to the Commission’s competitive and numbering efficiency concerns.” Cingular said petition should include more information on types of non-geographic-based services to be included in service- specific overlay code. Carrier said there hadn’t been adequate public comment on issue of what types of services were truly “nongeographic.” As example, Cingular said FCC’s Dec. order cited GM’s OnStar system as type of nongeographic application, but OnStar since had argued its service was geographically based. VoiceStream also raised concerns about more details that it said were needed on DPUC petition before FCC granted approval. Petition marks “noteworthy first effort,” VoiceStream said, but it fails to show that specialized overlays would provide better numbering optimization or that benefits outweigh costs “to be borne in the form of discriminatory and anticompetitive operations and market practices.” VoiceStream said outcome was important because FCC decision would “precedential.”