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Verizon Quits Fight on Rule for Cellphone Numbers

R

rubenswm

Golden Member
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/25/technology/25PHON.html



Verizon Wireless said yesterday that it would drop its opposition to a government plan to allow callers to keep their wireless phone numbers when they switch carriers. The about-face by Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest mobile phone company, probably means that some other mobile phone operators will have little choice but to yield to the arrangement.
 
Originally posted by: rubenswm
Originally posted by: werk
This is good news for consumers. 🙂
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definitely. now if only you could have numbers in 2 area codes for 1 phone.
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Couldn't you pull that off now on a GSM network? Just swap SIMs? Of course, you would have to pay for 2 service contracts. :/
 
Why is this good for consumers? This sounds like something that is going to be costly to implement, costs which will eventually be passed on to cell phone users.
 
Well some of us would rather get out of lousy service with the number and go somewhere else and if I have to pay a little more for that service so be it.

 
Originally posted by: Shantanu
Why is this good for consumers? This sounds like something that is going to be costly to implement, costs which will eventually be passed on to cell phone users.
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Do you work for a wireless carrier?

This is good for consumers because they won't have to change their phone number every time they want to switch carriers. What if you had to change your home phone number every time you switched long distance plans?

It's a big PITA to switch phone numbers. If you can take your number with you, the carriers will have to offer more incentives for you to stay with them.
 
Originally posted by: Shantanu
Why is this good for consumers? This sounds like something that is going to be costly to implement, costs which will eventually be passed on to cell phone users.
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Well, if my provider raises its prices, I'll just change to a cheaper provider and keep my number! 😛
 
Originally posted by: werk
Originally posted by: Shantanu
Why is this good for consumers? This sounds like something that is going to be costly to implement, costs which will eventually be passed on to cell phone users.
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Well, if my provider raises its prices, I'll just change to a cheaper provider and keep my number! 😛
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Exactly! 😀
 
Originally posted by: werk
Originally posted by: Shantanu
Why is this good for consumers? This sounds like something that is going to be costly to implement, costs which will eventually be passed on to cell phone users.
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Well, if my provider raises its prices, I'll just change to a cheaper provider and keep my number! 😛
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Uhhh.. Dumbass, this affects *all* cell phone carriers. Everyone's costs go up. Therefore, everyone (including morons like you) will pay more.

If I understand things correctly, cell phone carriers buy local phone exchanges (the first 3 digits of your number). All the numbers under that exchange, then become internal to the cell phone carrier. This ruling would require every cell phone carrier to setup an exchange sharing agreement with everyone other cell phone carrier, for every single one of their exchanges, in every single area code.

Call me crazy, but that doesn't sound like it's going to be cheap. If it were economically viable to do so, don't you think major carriers like Verizon and Sprint would have setup such agreements on their own?

Government interference in free markets = bad 99.9% of the time.
 
Maybe you don't realize this, but this is a cost that the vast majority of people would be willing to pay for. I would also contend that the cost of implementing this service will be negligible.
 
Originally posted by: crt1530
Maybe you don't realize this, but this is a cost that the vast majority of people would be willing to pay for. I would also contend that the cost of implementing this service will be negligible.
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Yeah, but how much more are you willing to pay every month for this convenience?

1%?

10%?

100%?

It looks like we'll have to wait and see.
 
Originally posted by: Shantanu
Originally posted by: werk
Originally posted by: Shantanu
Why is this good for consumers? This sounds like something that is going to be costly to implement, costs which will eventually be passed on to cell phone users.
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Well, if my provider raises its prices, I'll just change to a cheaper provider and keep my number! 😛
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Uhhh.. Dumbass, this affects *all* cell phone carriers. Everyone's costs go up. Therefore, everyone (including morons like you) will pay more.
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I should've figured such a response.
rolleye.gif
It was a joke...but of course, being the flaming asshole that you are, you have to take everything literally. Why don't you go back to a car thread and continue talking about your mommy and daddy's cars?

And furthermore, how do you know this is going to raise prices? Even if it did, it would be negligible compared to the convenience gained.
 
actually, most of the wireless carriers are already taking steps to implement this. Now instead of buying a whole exchange, the carriers just buy blocks of 1000 phone numbers. The cost is minimal. The only thing that might affect cost is the extra couple of seconds it would take to search for the wireless number to make sure it isnt already taken.

so dont worry people, this is a good thing!
 
It won't raise prices, they will fall. Non-portable numbers is one of the TOP reasons people stay with their carriers. If carriers know that people are leaving, they are going to do something about it -slash prices, offer better service plans, etc. I can tell you with complete honesty that the ONLY reason I stay with Cingular is b/c I don't feel like publicizing a new mobile number.

The argument that it is costly to implement is a bald-faced lie. Most major wireless providers ALREADY do this THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND ASIA! They already know how. The technology already exists. This argument is a stonewall tactic that relies on Americans not realizing that our wireless network is operated differently and more inefficiently compared to the rest of the world, the one that we are supposedly more technologically advanced over.

Wireless providers would be insane to raise prices. All it takes is one maverick company to undercut them and people will flock to that company.

In Europe, mobile is often cheaper than landline. This is a step in that direction. Free incoming calls is the other step, but eventually one provider will start to offer it and all the others will have to follow suit.

 
How often do people switch carriers???? Just pick one and stay with it. I loath cell phones so it doesn?t bother me at all.

and i think we have had the same long distance co for about 15 years now
 
verizon claims it would only add about 15 cents cost to each user...a cost they might be willing to absorb w/out raising prices

problem is, we have to wait till november...i wanna switch to verizon now! (cingular sucks)
 
Originally posted by: sohcrates
verizon claims it would only add about 15 cents cost to each user...a cost they might be willing to absorb w/out raising prices

problem is, we have to wait till november...i wanna switch to verizon now! (cingular sucks)
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15 cents isnt anything. Have you ever looked at your bill and saw all the misc charges that are already on there?
 
Originally posted by: Shantanu
Originally posted by: werk
Originally posted by: Shantanu
Why is this good for consumers? This sounds like something that is going to be costly to implement, costs which will eventually be passed on to cell phone users.
Click to expand...
Well, if my provider raises its prices, I'll just change to a cheaper provider and keep my number! 😛
Click to expand...

Uhhh.. Dumbass, this affects *all* cell phone carriers. Everyone's costs go up. Therefore, everyone (including morons like you) will pay more.

If I understand things correctly, cell phone carriers buy local phone exchanges (the first 3 digits of your number). All the numbers under that exchange, then become internal to the cell phone carrier. This ruling would require every cell phone carrier to setup an exchange sharing agreement with everyone other cell phone carrier, for every single one of their exchanges, in every single area code.

Call me crazy, but that doesn't sound like it's going to be cheap. If it were economically viable to do so, don't you think major carriers like Verizon and Sprint would have setup such agreements on their own?

Government interference in free markets = bad 99.9% of the time.
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Yeah, I agree, the market should be left as untouched as possible
But your logic isn't sound. The cost of employing this feature isn't the issue- it's the effects of having the issue. For a sh1tty provider it means their customers have one more reason to switch- they get to keep their number- which is a fact that many people take into consideration when trying to switch providers. We don't know the costs, it could be real simple or real complicated...either way I don't see this any different then our antitrust laws for monopolies.
 
We have been able to do this for as long as I can remember here in the UK.

All of the phone companies (we have 4/1 - O2, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile are the main ones, and Virgin Mobile uses T-Mobile's network with their own pricing etc) allow you to transfer your number, they normally charge you about £25 to do it. It makes it good when you want a new phone, or new tarrif, and what you want is offered on another network, but not the one you're currently on.

You go to the new provider, fill in a form (it might even be an electronic thing now), and it used to take about 7 days for your number to be transferred to your new provider.


It makes it a LOT easier when changing tarrifs, as you don't have to tell everyone you're new number, and use you're monthly call or SMS allowance to tell people you're new number 😉

Also, the UK has a lot of "Pay As You Go" mobiles, where you buy airtime with a voucher, which is popular with youngsters who can't get a contract. Some people have had a phone for years, since PAYG came out, and are now getting to the age where they can get, and want a contract phone, but everyone knows their current number. Pay £25, wait a week and you're number is transferred 🙂



Confused
 
Originally posted by: Jzero
It won't raise prices, they will fall. Non-portable numbers is one of the TOP reasons people stay with their carriers. If carriers know that people are leaving, they are going to do something about it -slash prices, offer better service plans, etc. I can tell you with complete honesty that the ONLY reason I stay with Cingular is b/c I don't feel like publicizing a new mobile number.

The argument that it is costly to implement is a bald-faced lie. Most major wireless providers ALREADY do this THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND ASIA! They already know how. The technology already exists. This argument is a stonewall tactic that relies on Americans not realizing that our wireless network is operated differently and more inefficiently compared to the rest of the world, the one that we are supposedly more technologically advanced over.

Wireless providers would be insane to raise prices. All it takes is one maverick company to undercut them and people will flock to that company.

In Europe, mobile is often cheaper than landline. This is a step in that direction. Free incoming calls is the other step, but eventually one provider will start to offer it and all the others will have to follow suit.
Click to expand...

Finally we have someone that understands exactly how much the consumer will benefit because of this bill. Prices are going to drop and new, better plans will be offered. All providers will be battling two-fold. First, new plans will be offered to existing customers to retain their service. Secondly, providers will be trying to pry customers for other providers and offering great deals to do so.
 
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