Two options are being considered by the New York State Public Service Commission (NYSPSC) to deal with the lack of available telephone numbers for Nassau and Suffolk counties.

The issue being tackled by the NYSPSC is should a new area code be applied to all new Long Island telephone numbers or just one county, the other retaining 516.

The 516 area code has been the sole code for Nassau and Suffolk Counties since 1951. However, with the proliferation of fax machines, cellular phones, modems and pagers, available telephone numbers are rapidly diminishing, according to NYSPSC.

To decide a course of action, the NYSPSC recently held a number of public forums on Long Island including one at the Mineola Village Hall last Thursday.

"It's good to see what the average person thinks is intelligent, what makes sense and what doesn't make sense," said James Bennett of Garden City, one of the four current commissioners of the NYSPSC.

The public has been presented with two possible plans.

"Most people seem to favor a geographic split where Nassau County or Suffolk County would get a new area code," said Bennett.

NYSPSC sees simplicity as one of the advantages of a geographic split. One county would be identified by 516 and the other by a new area code.

In this scenario, the question that arises is which county keeps the 516 area code? The NYSPSC hopes these forums will shed some light upon what people would prefer.

Disadvantages of the geographic split would be that 1,000,000 existing customers would be forced to get new area codes, thousands of wireless customers would require the reprogramming of their cellular phones and pagers and an anticipated need for future additional area codes would split the counties into even smaller sections.

For these reasons the NYSPSC has proposed a second option, which they prefer to the geographic split.

"The staff favors overlaying, the national telecommunications policy," said Bennett.

The overlay plan calls for the creation of a new area code to be established for all of Long Island. Current customers would keep their current phone numbers and once the 516 numbers ran out, new customers would be assigned a new code.

Overlaying avoids forced number changes, can be replicated in the future as the needs arise and would spare wireless customers the hassles of reprogramming.

In the case of overlaying, the NYSPSC has suggested that local phone companies may lose customers who may be deterred by the prospect of needing a new area code if they want a new telephone number.

The major disadvantage to overlaying is that 10 digit dialing would be necessary for all calls, including those calls made within the same area code, though it will still be charged as a local call.

NYSPSC has requested that the Federal Communication Commission waive this policy.

Explained Bennett, "The Federal Communications Commission believes that 10 digit dialing is the way of the future."

"Area codes are running out all over the country," said Jill Wassler, outreach and education specialist, office of consumer education and advocacy for the NYSPSC, "This is not a local or state phenomenon."

Currently, overlaying exists in Maryland, Colorado, North Carolina and Florida. Last July overlaying was introduced in New York City.

Geographic splits have been implemented in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York City.

It is anticipated by NYSPSC, that either option will provide seven and a half years relief. However Bennett noted that technology may provide future relief.

A decision will be made by spring, and anywhere from six months to a year later the chosen option will be implemented

Anyone wanting to express their opinion can contact the NYSPSC at www.dps.state.ny.us or call 1-800-335-2120.