Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Portability Back In Regulatory Play

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2003 00:33:06 -0500

Jan 15, 2003 (Wireless Data News/PBI Media via COMTEX) -- Internet Association would be
surprised to learn that it will
ask the federal government to once again delay the local number portability requirement
for wireless service operators.

The surprise, however, could come in the Federal Communications Commission's response to
the CTIA's bid. The FCC on
three prior occasions has pushed back the deadline for wireless operators to begin
offering number portability to their
customers. This time, though, the commission could place the likely market demand for
wireless portability over the industry's
opposition to providing it.

Merrill Lynch [NYSE: MER] wireless market equity analysts report that "because the FCC has
granted three extensions
already, and because there is consumer demand for [wireless number portability], it is
unlikely that the FCC will grant another
extension unless there are implementation issues that would require additional time."

The association could have a better chance for stopping the portability rule in court,
where oral arguments in the case are
scheduled for April 15, rather than trying to sway the commission.

The CTIA argues that although Congress excluded wireless carriers from the number
portability obligation, the commission
included the wireless industry in its rulemaking, saying that portability is needed to
grow wireless market competition. But the
U.S. market is nothing if not active with customers changing wireless providers without
the option of transporting their numbers
to different networks.

"I think that CTIA has an excellent chance of overturning the portability rules in the
courts," says Scott Blake Harris, a telecom
attorney and a managing partner at Washington, D.C.-based law firm Harris, Wiltshire &
Grannis. "I think the courts could well
find that the Commission acted both arbitrarily and contrary to statutory authority."

The U.S. industry's overall revenues likely will drop if number portability is offered.
Wireless operators with strong images in
the market for network quality and coverage would be in position to gain subscribers with
the help of portability, and those
carriers who leverage the capability to gain business customers would benefit the most.
Merrill Lynch analysts predict that
AT&T Wireless Services [NYSE: AWE] and Cingular Wireless could be at the greatest risk of
losing market share. Nine
Months To Go

The FCC's existing rule requires wireless operators to provide wireless- to-wireless
number portability and wireline operators
to provide wireline-to- wireless portability in the top 100 metropolitan statistical areas
by Nov. 24 this year.

The most recent delay order came in July 2002 when the commission, acting on a petition by
Verizon Wireless to eliminate the
deadline, voted to delay the wireless number portability requirement for another 12
months, pushing the compliance date from
two months ago until November this year.

According to the CTIA, wireless companies' costs for adding portability capabilities would
divert spending needed to maintain
quality of services. It says the U.S. industry would spend nearly $1 billion million to
install portability technology, and $500
million annually to maintain the capability.

 http://www.telecomweb.com/OTHERVIP/cgi/searchauth.cgi?/search.pbimedia.com/search97cgi/s97_cgi?action=View&VdkVgwKey=%2E%2E%2Fdocuments%2Farchive%2Fwdn%2Fwdn01150304%2Ehtml&DocOffset=1&Collection=archive&&ViewTemplate=new_tweb_view_wdn.hts

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From: "Bulldog <[email-masked]>" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2003 14:55:44 -0000

Number portability is something the consumer is and has been paying 
for.  On Nextel's bill, it's reflected in the "Service Fee" which 
includes Portability, e-911, and Traveling DC.  (Nationwide DC will 
cost extra.)

If carriers argue sucessfully to block #PORT, isn't a refund in 
order?  Color me old-fashioned but if you charge me for something you 
ought to deliver it.

People are often reluctant to change carriers because of the 
inconvenince of losing a phone number--nevermind the dozen other 
numbers and e-mail addresses they have. Used to be you could overcome 
this by pointing put the cost savings.  Declining rate-plans makes 
this near impossible now.

Number portability is attractive to high volume users.  The person 
who is on a $30 a month plan has to notify has to notify how many 
people if their mobile number changes?  A dozen?  Someone who relies 
on it to make a living, that's another story.

The wireless industry needs this tool to continue to churn numbers.  
It's essential.  And if one carrier benefits from churn, it's Nextel.

~Bulldog

> million annually to maintain the capability.
http://www.telecomweb.com/OTHERVIP/cgi/searchauth.cgi?/search.pbimedia
.com/search97cgi/s97_cgi?action=View&VdkVgwKey=%2E%2E%2Fdocuments%
2Farchive%2Fwdn%2Fwdn01150304%
2Ehtml&DocOffset=1&Collection=archive&&ViewTemplate=new_tweb_view_wdn.
hts