WASHINGTON-The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association said on Wednesday it will ask the Federal Communications Commission to again delay the implementation of wireless local number portability until the rules for wireline LNP can be changed to allow a consumer wishing to cut the cord to use their wireline number on their wireless phone.
CTIA’s argument is that the purpose of wireless LNP is not competition between and among wireless carriers but rather between wireless and wireline carriers.
The problem with the rules, says CTIA, is that wireline carriers are only required to provide LNP within a rate center-geographic locations around switching centers used by state regulators to set local rates. In other words, if a person moves from one side of a city to another, that person must change his telephone number.
In the wireless/wireline context, the wireline carrier is only required to provide LNP if the wireless carrier’s switch is located in the same rate center where the customer is located. According to CTIA research, this means that a majority of customers cannot keep their numbers when cutting the cord.
In contrast, wireless carriers are required to allow customers to keep their telephone numbers when switching carriers within the same local area.
