WASHINGTON-A wireless industry appeal of the Federal Communications Commission’s rules on
local number portability, which become effective on March 31, 2000, has been postponed until at least
May.
Portability refers to a customer’s ability to change carriers without having to change telephone numbers. The
FCC consistently has said number portability is necessary for competition to develop.
The Cellular
Telecommunications Industry Association and other wireless players argue wireless number portability is not necessary
because the wireless industry already is competitive.
The delay gives the FCC time to rule on a CTIA request not to
enforce the wireless number portability rules for at least five years. The FCC said it would make a decision on the
matter by March 16.
Indeed, CTIA’s petition asks the FCC not to enforce for five years wireless number portability
rules when they become effective on March 31, 2000. After the five years, the FCC should use the amount of
competition in the wireless industry as the determining factor as to the need for wireless number portability, CTIA said
in its forbearance petition filed on Dec. 16, 1997.
Bell Atlantic Mobile has led the industry in a legal effort,
currently in the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, to overturn the wireless number portability rules.
BAM
argues Congress did not intend for the wireless industry to be subject to portability when it included the requirement in
the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The FCC disagrees, but said it would be more technically challenging for the
wireless industry to implement number portability than it will be for the wireline industry.
The FCC agreed to the
delay in the appeals case because if the FCC agrees to forebear from the rules, per CTIA’s request, the appeal would not
be necessary, said Michael F. Altschul, CTIA vice president and general counsel.
In lieu of either forbearance or a
successful appeal, the wireless industry is working toward a number portability plan that would separate the mobile
identification number and mobile directory number.
Currently these numbers are based on the telephone number
assigned to a specific customer and signify to carriers-in the roaming context-the customer and their home carrier. After
separation, these identifiers still will be available for roaming but the mobile identification number will not be based on
the telephone number.
Meanwhile, wireline number portability is being phased-in in the 100 largest metropolitan
areas using location routing number technology.
