WASHINGTON-A coalition of consumer advocates and state regulators on Monday sent a letter to senators urging them to reject efforts by the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association to delay the implementation of wireless local number portability.
“The wireless industry continues to engage in efforts to obscure, delay and confuse consumers and regulatory authorities regarding an important means of promoting competition and improving service quality in the wireless marketplace. Unfortunately, the wireless industry has yet to accept the fact that the [Federal Communications Commission], state commissions and consumers believe that wireless LNP has significant public-interest benefits,” reads the letter signed by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, AARP, Consumers Union, the Consumer Federation of America, the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates and the e-Commerce and Telecommunications Users Group.
The letter was targeted at senators who are expected to vote Thursday on amendments meant to delay the implementation of wireless LNP. The Senate Commerce Committee will consider various bills, including one to re-authorize the FCC that could be amended to delay the implementation of wireless LNP.
“NARUC and consumer groups throughout the country have been saying for seven years that wireless telephone customers should be able to keep their telephone number if they switch carriers. No one can seriously dispute the facts: LNP is in the best interest of consumers, LNP clearly promotes competition on the basis of price and service quality, and LNP preserves telephone numbers,” said Robert Nelson, chairman of the NARUC telecom committee and a member of the Michigan Public Service Commission.
The letter sets out to respond to various myths it says the industry is passing around Capitol Hill. These myths include the cost of implementation. While the industry indicates it is costly, the letter responds by saying they believe the wireless industry has already spent the money to implement wireless LNP, and in some cases, is recovering its costs through line items on customer bills.
