WASHINGTON-The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association is taking the lead on implementing wireless number portability at the same time it waits for the Federal Communications Commission to rule on its request that the wireless number portability rules be delayed or eliminated early next century.
Earlier this month, CTIA released a consensus white paper on wireless number portability stressing the wireless industry should be treated differently than the wireline industry. And, next month CTIA will sponsor a forum here that will focus on both regulatory and technical issues involved with implementing wireless number portability.
The 100-plus page document applies to Advanced Mobile Phone Service, Time Division Multiple Access, Code Division Multiple Access, and Global System for Mobile communications technologies.
Included in the technical document are enhanced details about switch processing, provisioning and porting processes, further delineation of the mobile station identifier and mobile directory number, as well as roaming and billing impacts. The MSID is either a 15-digit international mobile station identification or a 10-digit mobile identification number.
The wireless industry continues to be concerned the wireless local number portability implementation requirement will stunt the amazing growth of the industry. The solution goals stated in the white paper include minimizing the impact on existing networks, continuing roaming, supporting the long-term efficient use of numbering resources and supporting existing and changing service areas without inhibiting competition.
In a related portability matter, wireless carriers strenuously rejected a proposal from Bell Atlantic Corp. to charge competing carriers, including wireless carriers, for landline number portability.
The FCC has allowed local exchange carriers to recover the implementation costs for this service but only after customers start “porting” from an exchange. Bell Atlantic filed a tariff that sought to recover costs as soon as an exchange was ready for porting but had not experienced a port. Porting refers to when a customer switches from one carrier to another but is allowed to keep his/her telephone number. Bell Atlantic filed a tariff that sought to recover costs as soon as an exchange was ready for porting but had not experienced a port.
