The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission on July 11, 2001, granted a request by the telecommunications industry to delay number pooling in Spokane until January 8, 2002.

Number pooling involves the sharing of telephone prefixes by more than one telecommunications company offering service in a particular area. Without pooling, a separate telephone prefix is assigned to each telephone company in each local area where it offers service.

The pooling administrator maintains a web site with information on the current status of the pooling trial.

Earlier developments include:

• On May 30, 2001, the WUTC granted a limited waiver to Qwest. The waiver means that Qwest will not have to participate in number pooling until 2003, but it also cannot request any additional prefixes in a rate center where prefixes are being pooled.

• On April 11, 2001, the Federal Communications Commission confirmed the WUTC's authority to order number pooling in area code 509. The WUTC asked for this ruling after the largest holder of telephone prefixes in eastern Washington, Qwest, challenged the WUTC's authority.

The FCC's decision may be downloaded here, in PDF or Word format:

The FCC ruling resolved a dispute about whether an earlier FCC order had authorized number pooling in eastern Washington. In response to a Qwest-filed petition, the FCC had said in March 2001 that the WUTC authority would not extend to eastern Washington unless the original request is amended. The WUTC filed the amended request on March 14, 2001.

• The original WUTC order to implement number pooling was on Nov. 27, 2000.