PUC Dismisses Planned Area Code Split

PUC Dismisses Planned Area Code Split
We got great news this week when the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) announced it had dismissed its plan to split the existing 814 area code region to address a projected shortage of phone numbers.

Responding to overwhelming objections from citizens and business owners, I brought the PUC to Bradford for a hearing last summer where the commission got an earful about the negative impact the change would have had on our region. I’m pleased the commission heard our concerns and dismissed its planned geographic split, which would have seen Cameron and most of Potter counties retaining the 814 area code and McKean County and points west receiving a new area code.

It has now been determined that 814 numbers aren’t expected to be exhausted until the second quarter of 2018, so there is no immediate need to develop an alternative to the split.