FCC Still Pushing for Number Portability on Nov. 24 378
JediAeryn writes "eWeek.com is reporting the latest on cell phone "number portability." Looks like the FCC is requiring wireless carriers to allow customers to take their numbers with them beginning Nov. 24th. This is all well and good, provided these companies don't throw out more lawsuits to slow the process. My local Verizon store has been giving me the same date for several weeks, but mentioned that other companies are afraid of losing their current customers. My question to the Slashdot community is this: is that a valid concern? Do you plan to switch carriers, and for what reasons?"
Can I move it to VoIP? (Score:5, Interesting)
Not Yet (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Can I move it to VoIP? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Can I move it to VoIP? (Score:2)
It doesn't cause any problems here in the UK (Score:3, Interesting)
Although I've not changed mobile supplier, I know of several people who have without any problems.
I think here that try to keep you, but in the end as long as you have obtained a PUK code, then they can't stop you from keeping your number and changing supplier.
Re:It doesn't cause any problems here in the UK (Score:2)
It surprises me therefore, that the carriers are fighting this so hard...
Re:It doesn't cause any problems here in the UK (Score:2)
If you transfer your number to another providor, and expect calls to your phone from the same network to be cheaper (eg, orange to orange is usually cheap etc) then you may be suprised.
Some providors treat these numbers as external to their network, even tho you are on one of their billing plans and make calls via their network. This means that callers to your phone from the same network will get charged higher rates as if they we
How about in Canada? (Score:2, Interesting)
reception (Score:5, Interesting)
But then recently the reception at home for Sprint got perfect...I guess adding towers and coverage is still an ongoing thing? So I think I'll stick with my now...2 or 3 year old phone.
Re:reception (Score:2)
Re:reception (Score:2)
That said, does anyone know of a good cell phone with an extendible antenna?
Re:reception (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Forced to change (Score:5, Interesting)
You sign up with a carrier and get a good deal that requires a 1 or 2 year contract.
At the end of that contract you have to switch to a different rate plan.
All the good (cheap) rate plans are limited to "new subscribers only"
You're faced with the choice of paying substantially more or switching to a different carrier who is offering good deals to new subscribers.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
Re:Forced to change (Score:2)
And even if you decide to quit (at least with Sprint), you'll be immediately transferred to a "Customer Retention Representative" who is ready and authorized to bargain with you. Just give them the terms of the competitor you're thinking about switching to, a
Re:Forced to change (Score:2)
What I'm really hoping that number portability will do is to take away the last disincentive to switch carriers, and force carriers to occasionally offer better promotional deals on new phones as a way to keep the customers they have. My biggest problem with staying with Sprint is how much it costs to upgrade to a new phone, compared to how much it would cost to switch to a new carrier and get a promotional
are you kidding??! (Score:2, Informative)
In fact, just the opposite. I've been gradually upgrading my plan by continuing my service for another year, and now I must say I have an awesome plan.
$28 a month, 300 anytime, unlimited nights and weekends (starting at 8pm), free wireless web, pcs->pcs calling. I think it's an awesome deal for the amount I use the phone.
You know how I got those? I just called the custom
Re:Forced to change (Score:2)
Bug in the system (Score:3, Interesting)
The wonderful advantage agreement... follow me for a second.
Over time, the value of the termination fee diminishes. If you are using a service for three years, it's likely that you'll use it for four. I happen to have a kickass plan that my unnamed provider keeps trying to separate me from.
This particular provider allows you to change features on the condition that you agree to a one year extension. Most blind, rab
In UK for about a year (Score:2)
But even allowing for this, they hasn't been much churn. Most people "use up" their current phone. When they get a new phone, they may well changfe providers - and put up with the trouble of changed numbers. Those who really don't want th
Re:In UK for about a year (Score:2)
I'll change my number (Score:5, Interesting)
I've changed services 3 times in 8 years. Each time I was given a new phone number. All I did was ask the previous cell phone company to cut my minutes to the bare minimum they could, and leave a message on my voice mail saying "I have changed this phone number. Please call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx. Do not leave a voice mail here."
After 30-60 days (around $20-$40 maximum) I ended the previous service. If someone didn't call me in 60 days, why should I care if they have my number or not? There are so many other ways to get a hold of me (e-mail, postal, even calling up one of my businesses), my cell phone number should NOT be an issue. If they only know my cell phone number and none of my other contact points, I honestly don't care all that much about them (or vice versa).
I have a few customers right now who are waiting for portability, but I've heard it may cost $3 to $8 a month to keep your old number. This is crazy! Keep the old number for a few months, pay the monthly charges, and do what I've done -- set up your own "new number information" message.
Re:I'll change my number (Score:2)
So it's not fair to companies who are trying to use superior service to win away customers of other companies, since there's an artifical negative consequence associated with switching to their product.
I'm glad to see this happen: this legislation removes an artificial negative consequence, in order to keep the m
Re:I'll change my number (Score:2)
There is no need to "keep the market fair." Where is Congress' mandate in the Constitution to interfere in th
Re: (Score:2)
Re:I'll change my number (Score:2)
I suspect that the people most likely to take advantage of this are 1) casual users with a wide number of friends and family for whom changing numbers can be a hassle, and 2) small-business or self-employed users who may have significant stocks of business cards and stationary that they'd have to change otherwise.
But for other businesses this won't work (Score:5, Insightful)
My point, for some people in some businesses, your approach is adequate. For others, it is not. And number portability is important. It all depends on how frequently your repeat customers call you.
Re:I'll change my number (Score:2)
So when it came time to renew last summer, I did. They were switching to GSM, great I've used GSM in Europe for years and was looking forward to SIM cards and other related technologies.
Well in the last 3 months since I switched, both my fiance and I have had not
Re:I'll change my number (Score:2)
Aussies lead the way... again. (Score:2)
Only a new concept in the US... (Score:3, Insightful)
This has been a feature of both landlines and cellular networks for some time in the UK (I'm not sure about the Continent). Strangely enough, the phone system hasn't collapsed and we still seem to have a working telecommunications infrastructure. *touch wood*
In fact, what happened was that some customers switched from company A to company B, and some customers switched from company B to company A, and so on. And people were happy. And companies, the good ones anyway, didn't fall apart, so they were happy too.
I don't know what the motives of the objecting companies are, but perhaps they should think more about the service they're providing - if it's easy for people to switch and they provide a good service, said company could actually benefit.
Re:Only a new concept in the US... (Score:2)
In the UK, Norway (which is where I happen to live and enjoy life) and pretty much the rest of the civiliced world has one major advantage compared to the USA as far as numberportability and free choice in phones go:
We have a national, unified standard for cellphone infrastructure!
This means that anyone can (in theory, and if they have enought money) start a telco and start building their own towers - or even piggyback off existing towers (ie; rent exess capacity of the larger telcos), without having to
My solution (Score:5, Interesting)
So my solution was to get a 2nd line at my house with NO features at all except CALL FORWARD to my cell phone. I don't even have a phone plugged into it. I give out the phone number on the 2nd line.
Now I can change cell providers easily and just change the number that gets forwarded to.
Yes, I'll switch carriers. (Score:2)
Yes, because sprint sucks (Score:3, Interesting)
I am of course somewhat concerened about switching to another carrier due to the draconian agreements you must sign to get a phone or renew your contract these days (2 years!!!???).... as well as the fact that it appears that ALL the carriers suck ass. I hear complaints about everyone.... T-mobile, ATT, sprint, Verizon, all of them apparently have more issues than i think is fair to the consumer. However sprint is probably the MOST proprietary of them all, with no sim's, and horrid connectivity cards.
The greatest thing about the number portability beyond the ability to move over to a new service is that this will no doubt FORCE the carriers to compete on a basis of quality of service as opposed to just price vs performance. By giving people an option to switch we should see carriers start to focus on who can provide the most stable AND cost-effective network.
Not to mention this should give high-speed wireless data a nice shot in the arm with consumers quickly switching over for the faster and more reliable cards.
Re:Yes, because sprint sucks (Score:3, Insightful)
Australia has had number portability for a while (Score:2, Interesting)
The ACCC [accc.gov.au] (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) here in Australia are the ones who asked for it to happen in the interest of competition.
If other companies are afraid of loosing their customers then they are obviously not serving them well enough. This sort of thing forces the telcos to provide a better service to their customer
Nope. (Score:2)
Re:Nope. (Score:2)
The color screen, ok, fine, that's just eye candy.
The polyphonic ringtones... meh, I like music for my ringtones, so it's nice to have it not sound like crap.
The games, however, are a lifesaver for me. Whenever I find myself stuck in an airport for a layover, or just have a few minutes I need to kill and I
Hostage? (Score:3, Insightful)
Maybe, maybe not. (Score:2)
As I see it, the FCC decision puts true market forces into play - I've been locked into Verizon because I couldn't carry the number elsewhere. No longer.
Do I switch? Possibly. Verizon doesn't work in my apartment, Sprint does. Sprint has cooler phones. It'll all end up depending on who offers me the best combination of price & service.
Isn't that the way it's supposed to be? Co
Now they need a /good/ way of maintaing customers (Score:2)
They've essentially had a strange sort of monopoly over you, where if you wanted to keep your number, you were forced to use their service and had no other options. Other than the "keep your number" part, that is a CLEAR example of a monopoly for existing customers. It's kind of interesting, from an economics point of view
I've got a two year contract (bogus!), but I'm happy with Veri
Yes, I'm planning on switching carriers... (Score:2)
nTelos sees otherwise, though. First (about 2 years ago) they 'upgraded' their system so that the voicemail button on the keypad no longer worked. "Sir, you should get a new handset if you want that functionality to continue!". No
Pepsi Challenge here in the woods (Score:2)
Re:Pepsi Challenge here in the woods (Score:5, Informative)
Not to diminsh your choice of locations to live but UHF and nearly microwave RF doesn't penetrate woods very well. If you're serious about getting good signal inside your house don't expect the mobile carrier to plop a tower nearby to help you out. Get yourself a cellular repeater (about $700) and install it in your house. You indicate that Cingular is fine outside the house, then a repeater would make it fine inside the house.
I live in the middle of a well populated area and have one bar inside my house and two to three outside. If I place one of these repeaters with a yagi pointed at the local cell I could expect to get 4-5 bars inside my house. Not a bad improvement.
One place that sells cell repeaters is http://www.jdteck.com/product/phprepeater.htm
I know I switched (Score:2, Informative)
What we really need... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:What we really need... (Score:2)
the phones you get for free are carrier locked cause the carrier is picking up the tab in hopes you will stay a customer and make it up in use
its not a hard concept
phones arent really 50$, try 500$
Re:What we really need... (Score:2)
IIRC, Cingular & T-Mobile are GSM, AT&T is TDMA, and Sprint & Verizon use CDMA.
So the phone radio electronics are different.
DISCLAIMER: My data may be off...
I can't wait! (Score:2)
Big Juicy Corp accounts (Score:2)
I am a company with 10,000 pho (Score:2)
Don't give anyone your mobile number (Score:2)
I just give people my home phone number.
Vonage forwarding is free and you can set the number of rings etc. on their web site
This way I can change mobile numbers and no one knows
In the UK (Score:2)
Only fair (Score:2)
Well they're already charging you a number-portability fee. And most carriers have been charging the fee for months.
And even after they've paid off the cost of the number portability system (and let's face it, it's a database -- how expensive can it be?) they'll continue charging
It will a level out the service and offerings (Score:2)
Hell yes, it's a valid concern! (Score:2)
Which is the whole point. Number importability is a way for telcos to lock you into using their service. And someday -- someda
AT&T sucks (Score:2)
Why? Because I'm sick of all the places with no service.
I live in the West SF Valley, and except for the area immediately around my house, there's no signal... (For LA residents, the no signal area appears to be between Woodlake and Shoup (E-W boundary) and Ventura and Vanowen (N-S boundary).
Oddly, this only started in the last month or so.
And it's not just locally, too. Seems like everywhere I go, people are chatting on phones, and I get no signal, or signal level of 1. It's ridiculo
Re:AT&T sucks (Score:2)
Hardware data points: Nokia 5160(x2) and Nokia 3360.
If they charge for this... (Score:2)
Course they could collude rather than compete... nah... what are the odds of that happening?
crtc in Canada? (Score:2)
A google search revealed Mobile number portability [intug.net] page on The International Telecommunications Users Group (INTUG) [intug.net] site.
Here is their position paper on numbering [intug.net] which supports portability.
I plan on changing providers... (Score:2)
I plan on changing providers because I'm tired of fighting my provider's bad coverage in my area. I used to not be able to get reception at my house or place of work-- meaning 90% of the day I was out of contact anyway.
Well, there's also the nokia 3360 which was an issue. I managed to destroy mine quite thoroughly, then brought it in to take a
Too late for me, but I switched from Sprint (Score:2)
Would not have minded keeping my old PCS number, but it is really no big deal to me. Not many people had the number anyway, even thou
YAY! (Score:2)
It is something the carriers should be afraid of (Score:2)
The bottom line is that it is good for consumers to have the freedom to change carriers and bad for carriers to allow consumer to change more easily. Of course, the phone companies can just do a better job then their competitor and they won't have to worry ab
Change providers? No. Worse. (Score:2)
I expect that service contracts will be more strictly enforced after this goes into effect. I'm glad I'm not bound by any annual agreement.
Of Course (Score:2)
I recently switched companies (and consequently phone numbers) and it was a little bit of a hassle, but it was neccessary. If I hadn't been forced to switch due to a truly horrible nationa
I've switched 6 times in 2 years... (Score:2)
Number Portability (Score:3, Insightful)
Can the wireless carriers implement number portability? Yes... Will it break a bunch of a stuff if they do? Yes again.
One of the most significant things that still has to be addressed is exactly how, who, and when the PSAP databases get updated. For those of you not up on telco terminology, the PSAP database is what 911 uses to locate you by your caller-id info.
Of course, the major issue with the carriers has to do with increased billing costs. Each carrier (wirelines and wireless) has their areas divided into rate centers. These are typically, but not always, associated with NPA-NXX numbers. Visit NANPA [nanpa.com] for more info on NPA-NXX.
Moving numbers between carriers will mess with the rate centers severely, for awhile anyway, and cause much confusion between carriers in relation to call termination charges, etc.
Not switching, but others will (Score:2)
This should be good (Score:2)
My favorite part of the article:
I'm changing to Verizon (Score:2)
Of course, my service was crappy, and of course Verizon started making great strides in my area. Now literally everyone I know who has had a cell phone for more than three years in this area is using Verizon. Friends have tried Sprint and T-Mobile, but they all wound up
Why were we PAYING for portability all those years (Score:2)
But when I wanted to change my cell phone carriers they told me I couldn't keep my number.
Why not? What have I been paying for all these years?
AT&T, Verizon, Direct-Connect & Bluetooth (Score:2)
I've been with AT&T Wireless for two years. My contract is up at the end of this month, and I'm planning to switch to Verizon. I live southwest of Boston; and although my coverage is fine in the city, my coverage is bad/non-existent within about a four-mile radius of my house. It's really quite frustrating, not to be able to place calls while I'm running local errands.
My mother, on the other hand, has been using Verizon for the same period of time, and has no problems with her reception. It's too bad,
Bluetooth is a well wanted feature! (Score:2)
I honestly dont care about the camera-phone aspect (AT&T has a nice bluetooth phone w
Calendar Marked (Score:2)
With Sprint (my second carrier) I had to choose my number twice with the store personnel (his mistake) only to be informed by a second assistant (the one on the phone activating my service) that my number was yet a third. S
Valid concern? (Score:2)
companies are afraid of losing their current customers. My question to the Slashdot community is this: is that a valid concern?
No it is not! The amount of US businesses that are taking a legal road to hold on to customers is sickening. This is anti-inovation. Wasn't there something about free-trade in this country? I always asumed that was a two way street, where new companies where allowed to coexist next to esthablished companies AND customers where allowed to make their own free c
Im leaving Sprint (Score:2)
sorry.
Re:Still waiting for Phone Portabillity (Score:2)
This is already very common place with "unlocked" phones. You can't do it with all phones (e.g. some would have to be physically modified), but many can do it with a simple code.
Re:Still waiting for Phone Portabillity (Score:2)
Re:Not soon (Score:3, Insightful)
Yeah, I agree with that, but let me add that I think the number portability issue, while nice, is not the most important determining factor in picking or switching carriers. Far more important to me is HARDWARE portability, so that a $270 phone has a lifespan extending even unto other carriers' networks at the end of the service contract. Why the hell we have to be forced to buy the phone WITH the service in this country is beyond me.
Re:Not soon (Score:5, Informative)
You're right, it's crap. GSM is "an" (not "the") answer, at least the way it's implemented in most European countries. You have a GSM phone, there's a standard chip slot (same form factor is mini-smart cards used in USB dongles), and you get a new chip every time you switch providers (and you keep your number without any fees.)
Generally there are fairly hefty withdrawal fees, but you can get a new phone at a hefty discount
when you sign up, and you can normally get a fairly decent phone at a good price every two years or so if you stick with your provider. The phone's yours.
I like it; I've had better quality services here (all over Europe) than anywhere I've used any cell phones back home in California. The pricing's a bit higher, although with all the surcharges US providers have, I don't think it makes too much of a difference. And the cool thing for me is that as long as I'm on my provider's network in Switzerland, all the calls are at the "mobile" rate. Long distance is only when you call to or from other countries (in all of which my phone works).
True, the rates are a bit higher if I call outside my provider's network, but that's a pretty insubstantial difference.
Re:Not soon (Score:2)
I do have to say, though, when I do ha
Have you updated? (Score:2)
Call Sprint and have them send a tower list update to your phone if you haven't yet done so.
I had a few dead spots in my town and they ran their update and it filled them in.
I don't know how much is real and how much is smoke and mirrors but according to the Sprint rep the PCS phones do not automatically just find new towers. They have a list of towers in their firmware they can talk to. The list does not update automatically ---they assume if it's working you don't need it as it allows them to keep oth
Re:Not soon (Score:2)
I seem to remember it being a minor issue that people raised when we got number portability here a few years back, but I don't remember ever hearing of anyone being iretrievably locked in to one carrier by their hardware.
Besides, one of the biggest advantages portability gives the user (I've found) isn't actuall
Re:considering t-mobile in nyc... (Score:2)
I have a T68i, and I find that I generally can not use the phone from our 45th floor office due to its poor reception. The odd part is th
Re:What's next? (Score:2)
Re:What's next? (Score:3, Funny)
I hereby predict that a year from now we will be paying more for the same service we have now.
To me, that seems like a logical progression, even without the portability issue. The cost of my land-based phone increases around $2 every year, for the same basic service, under the guise of "network improvements". It sucks, but it's not surprising.
Re:What's next? (Score:2)
But what reason would one have to stay with their current service if they raise prices? For existing lo
Re:What's next? (Score:2)
IP address portability isn't necessary. That's what DNS is for. My IP address can change and I can still keep my same domain. However, you may have been thinking email portability. That's something that could create some problems, even though most MTAs make it easy to forward mail to a new address. For example, if the ISP hosting your email goes out of business, you're screwed.
Re:What's next? (Score:2)
So you reserve a name from a registrar. The person wanting to contact you, dials the name. His/her phone contacts the DNS server, gets your telephone number and redirects the call to your cell. You kindof get the idea.. right ?
Now, you make verisign the registrar and then, if you make a typo, you are redirected to a marketing call and that too at your cost. Verisign would call that an innovation though..
Re:What's next? (Score:2)
Re:What's next? (Score:2)
Re:What's next? (Score:2)
mobile addressing, where a node retains it's IP address regardless of what network it is attached to. Various protocols exist to handle this idea, such as forwarding packets from the 'home network' (where the IP address is expected to be located) to where that node is currently resides. other techniques exist, any good networking book should discuss it. (eg, Kurose & Ross 2e chapt
oh come on... (Score:2)
Like another person replied, inflation may have something to do with prices consistently rising.
If cell carriers can't count on a consistent base of customers, some of which consistency was predicated on people not switching due to losing their phone number, then the only logical result is that the cost of the service will rise.
ummm... if people switch to a different provider if the numbers are portable, th
Re:Similar policy for email addresses? (Score:2)
Re:It'll cost you (Score:2)
You pay for this up-front, every month, from $0.32 to $1.75, whether you switch or not, it looks like [cnn.com].
As far as switch-time costs, the FCC says [yahoo.com]:
That doesn't explicitly say no switch-time costs, but there's probably a rule preventing them from charging both monthly and one-time fees for t
Re:it's about time some sanity was introduced (Score:2)
Re:Bye bye AT&T (Score:2)
Sprint in my area doesn't have very good coverage even though their maps show they do. AT&T seems to have the best coverage but it is more expensive (not as much as it used to be though).
I'm leaving Sprint (Score:2)