Subject: [NEXTEL-1] FCC on wireless local number portability

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 07 Oct 2003 21:20:13 -0400

Washington, D.C.

October 7, 2003

Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released an Order offering
guidance to the industry on the implementation of wireless local number
portability (WLNP).  WLNP enables a consumer to change wireless service providers
within a given location and keep the same phone number.  Wireless carriers are
required to make WLNP available to consumers in the top 100 Metropolitan
Statistical Areas (MSAs) starting November 24, 2003.  Today’s Order solely
addresses issues related to the implementation of wireless-to-wireless porting;
the FCC plans to address pending issues related to wireline-to-wireless number
portability at a later date.    

Today’s Order responds to a Petition for Declaratory Ruling filed by the Cellular
Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) on May 13, 2003, as well as
issues raised by wireless carriers in response to a July 3, 2003 letter on WLNP
implementation from the Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau to CTIA
and Verizon Wireless.   

The Order addresses and clarifies the following WLNP implementation issues:  

First, the FCC held that wireless customers who port their numbers should have the
same flexibility to switch carriers that non-porting customers have currently,
even if they have not settled their account with the old carrier.  Thus, while
wireless carriers may include and enforce credit requirements, early termination
fees, and similar contractual provisions in their customer agreements, carriers
may not refuse to port numbers upon receipt of a valid request from the customer’s
new carrier.  

Second, the FCC held that wireless-to-wireless porting does not require the
wireless carrier receiving the number to be directly interconnected with the
wireless carrier that gives up the number or to have numbering resources in the
rate center associated with the ported number.  Although wireless carriers may
voluntarily negotiate interconnection agreements with one another, such agreements
are not required for wireless-to-wireless porting.  In cases where wireless
carriers cannot reach an agreement on the terms and conditions of porting, they
must port numbers upon receipt of a valid request, with no conditions.  

Third, the FCC encouraged wireless carriers to complete simple ports within the
industry-established porting interval of two and a half hours from the time the
customer requests service from the new carrier.  Although the Commission did not
propose to adopt the industry standard as a mandatory rule, it found no evidence
that the standard was technically infeasible, and stated that it would reexamine
the issue if it received numerous consumer complaints about the length of the
wireless porting process.

http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-03-237A1.doc

Action by the Commission, October 3, 2003, by Memorandum Opinion and Order (FCC
03-237).  Chairman Powell, Commissioners Abernathy, Copps, Martin, and Adelstein
with Commissioner 
 http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-239650A1.doc

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