In a recent letter from the CRTC dated 30 October 2023 (Telecom - Secretary General letter addressed to Kelly T. Walsh (Canadian Numbering Administrator) | CRTC), the Commission determined that it was appropriate to implement a more cautious approach to the assignment of geographic CO codes until a permanent solution to number exhaust is established.
Effective immediately, new limits and procedures must be followed by carriers seeking additional geographic CO code numbering resources. Specifically, the Canadian Numbering Administrator (CNA) will:
limit the assignment of geographic CO codes to the July 2023 round of Numbering Resource Utilization Forecast (NRUF) on a yearly, per carrier, and per Numbering Plan Area (NPA) complex basis, for all carriers, and
80% of the forecasts for any carrier who has forecasted more than 20 codes for any given year and NPA complex.
If a carrier requests CO codes beyond those levels, it will have to apply to both the CNA and the Commission, justifying why additional resources are required. As part of assessing any request, the Commission will consider, among other factors, the intended use for the additional CO codes, whether numbering resources other than North American Numbering Plan geographic resources can be used, whether the carrier has unused numbering resources from previous assignments which can be used, and the impact of the request for additional CO codes on number exhaust Canada-wide or in a specific region.
Specific details concerning the CNA’s approach to granting additional CO codes under these new rules can be found here: Commission_staff_Response_to_CNA_letter_of_8_November_2023.pdf (cnac.ca)
As a result, carriers may need to better manage their CO code resources or find themselves short of a critical business input.