State Officials Looking at Statewide Toll-Free Calling Plan

By Rusty Surette, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- If Corporation Commissioners have their way, Oklahomans will one day be able to make toll-free calls from their home to anywhere in the state.

At its meeting Tuesday morning, Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners announced it would begin looking into the establishment of a statewide toll-free calling plan.

In other words, someone using a landline phone in Oklahoma City would be able to call someone in Tulsa and not be charged for "long distance" calling.

"Why can you call toll-free nationwide with your cell phone, but you can't call statewide toll-free with your land line at home or at work?" said Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Chairman Bob Anthony.

The Oklahoma Corporation Commission is the agency that regulates telephone companies in Oklahoma. For economic reasons, Anthony said he wants a statewide toll-free calling system. He said it's long overdue, and cell phones have proven it's possible, even if the phone companies are against the idea.

"Don't tell me it can't be done. The question is, why haven't we done it sooner, and why can't we move forward," Anthony said.

Anthony said there will be numerous public meetings and others issues to tackle before the plan is ever implemented. One of those issues involves when each area code will eventually run out.

"The area code and all number tracking in North America is done by the North American Number Plan Administrator," said Matt Skinner, Oklahoma Corporation Commission.

That group has estimated the 580 area code will run out of numbers by the year 2015, and the 405 area code will run out of numbers by 2017. Tulsa recently faced this same issue with its 918 area code, and the commission opted to overlay the area with the new area code 539 next year.

The commission said it'll tackle the area code issues for 580 and 405 when it's closer to those dates.

If successful, Oklahoma would be the first in the nation to have a statewide toll free calling plan.