WASHINGTON-Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell is not backing off the agency’s decision to require local number portability in the mobile-phone industry later this year, but he said robust competition in the wireless sector makes it unnecessary to regulate rates or other business practices.
Powell made the statements in reply to a Jan. 23 letter from Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). In the letter, Schumer complained about the poor quality of cell phone service in his state and expressed concern about industry efforts to derail implementation of LNP on Nov. 24. The FCC today released the Feb. 5 letter, following several requests by RCR Wireless News.
“Implementation of wireless local number portability, scheduled for November of this year, also will further consumers’ ability to move to the carrier offering the most attractive mix of service quality and price,” said Powell. “The commission found that the November 2003 implementation date provided sufficient time for the industry to address several technical and non-technical issues adequately, and avoid disruption of an important number conservation initiative. The commission will monitor this situation closely as the November deadline approaches.”
The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, which Schumer cited in his letter as a potential roadblock to getting LNP off the ground this fall, argues the regulation is costly and unnecessary. CTIA has relayed this message to the Bush administration, which is pushing government regulators to more vigorously employ cost-benefit analyses in crafting federal rules.
Powell also said the FCC remains committed to completing the deployment of location-based of 911 across all wireless voice networks by the end of 2005.
