The Ia. Utilities Board (IUB) urged the FCC to move ‘as quickly a...

numbering resources in Iowa,” the state regulators said. “Recent activities by a voice over Internet service provider, partnering with rural ILECs, providing free voice mail boxes to customers nationwide via the Internet has had a dramatic impact on numbering resources in two of Iowa’s area codes,” the IUB said. If the trend continues, at least one Iowa area code could be declared in “jeopardy” of filling up by the end of 2007 or early 2008, the regulators said. “Nearly 2 million numbers have been assigned in just 16 rate centers in Iowa,” the IUB said, though “the populations of these rate centers range from 145 to 2,023 people.” The board has voiced concern to Iowa providers about numbering impact but “unfortunately, our tools for controlling this problem are somewhat limited,” the IUB told the FCC. Among agency proceedings relevant to Iowa is Doc. 06-14, in which state commissions seek delegated authority to implement thousands- block number pooling (TBNP) in all exchanges, IUB said in a letter dated April 30 but posted Tues. on the FCC website. Another proceeding, Doc. 95-116, would let states implement local number portability (LNP), the letter said: “It is our understanding that the switch upgrades necessary for LNP also facilitate TBNP.” The board also urged action on a numbers or connections-based contribution methodology for the Universal Service Fund. “Companies like those in Iowa that are utilizing large amounts of numbers pay nothing for those numbers,” IUB said: “Implementing a numbers based contribution methodology could force companies to be more conservative in their requests for numbers, or otherwise remove opportunities for arbitrage.”