We are finally able to keep our cell phone numbers

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AnimeKnight

Golden Member
Jan 8, 2000
1,823
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Finally!! Other countries are already doing this! Now once they implement this they will start focusing on receptions in order to keep their customers.

"Mobile-phone users will be able to keep their old phone numbers when they switch carriers, a federal appeals court ruled today.

The three-member U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., rejected claims by Verizon Wireless and an industry trade group that the "portability rule" by Federal Communications Commission was arbitrary and not necessary for the protection of consumers.
"

read here
 
S

snik

Senior member
Jan 6, 2003
759
0
0
Several firnds of mine switched carriers using the old cell phone numbers. And this was years ago.
 
C

chiwawa626

Lifer
Aug 15, 2000
12,013
0
0
How do you switch carrier and keep number anyways? Is there a special place u contact for that?/?
 

Registration required - can you post the article? Also, when do carriers have to come into compliance?
 
A

AnimeKnight

Golden Member
Jan 8, 2000
1,823
2
0
Originally posted by: Jzero
Originally posted by: conjur
ooops....repost
Click to expand...

Obviously AnimeKnight does not speak Wduaqnugese.
Click to expand...

I don't! I speak Whale-ese ;)

hhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee'sssssss thhhhhhhhhheeee arrrrrrtttttiiiiccccclllle ;)


Court: Consumers Can Keep Cell Phone Numbers

Wireless companies claimed the FCC regulation requiring that they allow customers to keep their cell phone numbers when switching carriers was arbitrary.

Mobile-phone users will be able to keep their old phone numbers when they switch carriers, a federal appeals court ruled today.

The three-member U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., rejected claims by Verizon Wireless and an industry trade group that the "portability rule" by Federal Communications Commission was arbitrary and not necessary for the protection of consumers.

The court supported the FCC's argument that the difficulty and cost of retaining phone numbers forces many consumers to stick with carriers even in cases when they are receiving inferior service.

The new rule, allowing mobile phone users to keep their number when they switch carriers, is scheduled to take effect Nov. 24. Phone users with land lines already can keep their numbers.

"The simple truth is that having to change phone numbers presents a barrier to switching carriers, even if not a total barrier, since consumers cannot compare and choose between various service plans and options as efficiently," the court said in its opinion.

The ruling was a defeat for the cellular telephone carriers, which have argued that the portability rule would be too costly and complicated to implement. Tom Wheeler, president of the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association, one of the plaintiffs in the appeal, said in a statement that the FCC has so far failed to clarify how exactly the rule will be implemented.

"This decision increases the pressure on the FCC to do what they have yet to do -- define the implementation of number portability," Wheeler said. "There are only 24 weeks between now and the portability deadline, but the basic 'how to's' have yet to be addressed. If there is to be number portability in November, the FCC must announce final rules by Labor Day or consumers will find chaos in the market."

The carriers have delayed implementation of the portability rule for several years. Two Republican Congressmen today proposed extending the deadline yet again so that the carriers can focus on building a system to identify the locations of mobile-phone users who call 911 and other emergency numbers, according to report by Bloomberg News.
 
F

fr

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
6,408
2
81
How exactly does this work? Are they going to link my name to the number in some huge database?
 
ElFenix

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,396
8,559
126
i wonder how much extra this will cost me a month
 
Confused

Confused

Elite Member
Nov 13, 2000
14,166
0
0
They have been doing this over here in the UK for as long as I can remember.

When you want to change providers, you get them to do something, and they charge you like £25 to do it, and your number is moved from one system to the other.

I guess it will be doable over there with a small charge, like here in the UK


Confused
 
D

dman

Diamond Member
Nov 2, 1999
9,110
0
76
Exactly... how much will it cost. Nothing said it had to be done for free. I'm sure it will be a charge close to the cost of printing up new business cards and letterhead... at the very least. Could be much more.

In fact, Maybe the initial activation will now include a number purchase charge. (So they don't call it an exit charge later). Wait and see I guess. Hopefully there's enough competition to keep the costs low...

 
blurredvision

blurredvision

Lifer
Oct 19, 2000
17,860
4
81
I once had a friend who switched from Cingular to AT&T Wireless, and they guy let her keep her original cell number. She was pretty hot, and this guy was giving her all kinds of freebies, he even chose to actually call her on his own time to make sure she liked everything! Hah
 
M

mpitts

Lifer
Jun 9, 2000
14,732
1
81
I don't care if it does wind up costing me money to keep my number. It will be worth it.
 
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chin311

Diamond Member
Feb 27, 2003
4,306
3
81
Originally posted by: mpitts
I don't care if it does wind up costing me money to keep my number. It will be worth it.
Click to expand...

yes, the cost would be well worth all the time and effort to get your new number known like your old one was...
 
rh71

rh71

No Lifer
Aug 28, 2001
52,844
1,049
126
If there is a cost involved, it better cost ONLY those people who want to retain their numbers, not everyone across the board...
 
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eLiTeGoodGuy

Golden Member
Jun 6, 2001
1,175
0
86
it is free, it's in the process of being setup now. They have setup a date of November for it to be available nationwide, they are making it so that you can put your cell number on your home phone, you home phone number on your cell phone, etc...

The only problem is that some carriers we handing out numbers that didn't belong to that area, because it didn't matter where they were located it was all a local call. Now Verizon caused soo much of a stink about it and that it would screw up their billing systems, we had to take back a small number of peoples cell phone numbers
 
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Spac3d

Banned
Jul 3, 2001
6,651
1
0
This was passed a couple years ago and was to be implemented last November, but the cel phone companies said they needed more time. I would suspect it may be delayed again.
 
ElFenix

ElFenix

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Mar 20, 2000
102,396
8,559
126
Originally posted by: eLiTeGoodGuy1
it is free, it's in the process of being setup now. They have setup a date of November for it to be available nationwide, they are making it so that you can put your cell number on your home phone, you home phone number on your cell phone, etc...

The only problem is that some carriers we handing out numbers that didn't belong to that area, because it didn't matter where they were located it was all a local call. Now Verizon caused soo much of a stink about it and that it would screw up their billing systems, we had to take back a small number of peoples cell phone numbers
Click to expand...

nothing is free. oh, the cost may be passed on in a hidden fashion instead of enumerated on my bill, but its still a cost.
 
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eLiTeGoodGuy

Golden Member
Jun 6, 2001
1,175
0
86
Originally posted by: ElFenix
Originally posted by: eLiTeGoodGuy1
it is free, it's in the process of being setup now. They have setup a date of November for it to be available nationwide, they are making it so that you can put your cell number on your home phone, you home phone number on your cell phone, etc...

The only problem is that some carriers we handing out numbers that didn't belong to that area, because it didn't matter where they were located it was all a local call. Now Verizon caused soo much of a stink about it and that it would screw up their billing systems, we had to take back a small number of peoples cell phone numbers
Click to expand...

nothing is free. oh, the cost may be passed on in a hidden fashion instead of enumerated on my bill, but its still a cost.
Click to expand...

ok I guess it would depend on your cell phone carrier, but the one I work for it will be free... Now we may not be charging you, but verizon or someone else might (government, taxes, etc...) we wont know until Nov.
 
F

fr

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
6,408
2
81
They might add it as the "Federal Emergency Number Retention Tax."
 
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