WASHINGTON-As the Federal Communications Commission was preparing for Christmas it was being pressured by a senator and state regulators to remove the bona fide request requirement for the implementation of wireless local number portability.
“The [FCC’s] bona fide request rule makes this feature contingent upon the industry’s willingness to implement it. It is clear, however, that most carriers are not interested in implementing number portability since they have asked the commission to waive the requirement altogether. By making number portability contingent upon bona fide requests from other carriers, the [FCC] will allow wireless providers to lock in users, eliminating any incentive for providers to improve service in an industry that by consumer accounts is not delivering on its promises,” said Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). “In the interest of fostering a truly competitive environment and improving customer choice, I urge you to eliminate the bona fide request rule for the top 100 [metropolitan service areas] for all non-rural carriers and to maintain the November 2003 deadline for all wireless carriers to implement local number portability.”
The wireless industry won a one-year extension on the local number portability rule but Verizon Wireless Inc. and the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association are fighting the Nov. 24, 2003 deadline in court.
Wireless carriers for the most part are scared of LNP because of the churn many analysts believe will occur if a high-volume customer can switch carriers and keep their telephone number.
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, which represents state regulators, has been fighting for the implementation of LNP because it believes it will improve service quality and increase the quantity of telephone numbers available. James Bradford Ramsay, NARUC’s general counsel, said he spoke with Lisa Zaina, legal adviser to FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, about NARUC’s concerns.
