MAINE, USA — The Maine Public Utilities Commission announced Wednesday in a news release that it opened an investigation into T-Mobile's growth numbering resources and number forecasting practices.
The investigation follows a previous release issued by MPUC on June 14 announcing that Maine's beloved 207 area code is predicted to be exhausted by the end of 2025. An MPUC release from back in 2020 previously reported that 207 was estimated to retire by 2024.
Wednesday's release says after reviewing number resource requests from T-Mobile from January 2021 through April 2022, "the Commission has reason to question the Company’s forecasting process for numbering resources and the rate at which old numbers are returned to the system as part of the “aging” process."
Before T-Mobile, Verizon was also investigated by MPUC last year in order to help preserve the 207 area code.
"This case is part of our ongoing effort to extend the life of Maine’s single 207 area code,” MPUC Chair Philip L. Bartlett II said. “Last year we opened a case to look into the numbering practices of Verizon Wireless and we are now doing the same with T-Mobile as they may also be using unrealistic forecasting goals, unnecessarily tying up available phone numbers.”
The investigation requires T-Mobile to provide MPUC with detailed information, including "an explanation of how the company forecasts growth in Maine, the utilization percentage of numbers used in the areas it serves, and an explanation of why the company is using a high number of special numbering categories that may unnecessarily increase the need for more numbers to be pulled from the 207 numbering pool," according to the release.
The release reports that all public documents related to this case will be available on the MPUC website here.