Number Portability Questions- WLNP

Top 10 Questions About Number Portability

Cell phone users will have something else to be thankful for just before this year's Thanksgiving holiday. Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions about what the telecommunications industry and government regulators call "Wireless Local Number Portability," or WLNP.

1. What is Wireless Local Number Portability (WLNP)?
2. When will WLNP- Number Portability become available?
3. Will all cell phone users be affected?
4. Can I use my current phone with my new wireless carrier?
5. Can I transfer my home telephone number to my cell phone?
6. Can I keep my number if I move to another city
7. What if I am still under contract with my current wireless carrier?
8. When should I cancel my current service?
9. How long will the porting process take?
10. Will I get charged for porting my number?

Q: What is Wireless Local Number Portability (WLNP)?
A: Today, when customers of one wireless phone company -- also known as a "carrier" -- switch service providers, they have to change their cell phone number as well. Under a new federal mandate known as Wireless Local Number Portability (WLNP), customers will now be allowed to transfer or “port” their current cell phone number when changing wireless carriers.

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Q: When will WLNP become available?
A: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has mandated that WLNP go into effect on November 24, 2003.

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Q: Will all cell phone users be affected?
A: Number portability will be available in the 100 largest metropolitan areas of the United States and Puerto Rico initially. Based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s 1990 and 2000 census reports, the markets affected cover almost 70% of the United States population. The remaining 30% of the country will be eligible for WLNP by May 24, 2004.

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Q: Can I use my current phone with my new wireless carrier?
A: Probably not, since different wireless carriers operate incompatible network technologies. Additionally, most cell phones are programmed to work only on the network of the carrier that supplied the phone.

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Q: Can I transfer my home phone telephone number to my cell phone?
A: Yes. You can "cut the cord" and transfer your home or office phone number to your cell phone, as long as the wireless carrier you switch to provides coverage in the location of your conventional phone line -- also called a landline or wireline. Under FCC rules, local phone companies, known as wireline carriers, are allowed up to four business days to transfer a phone number between carriers. So you may have to go several days without cell phone service if you make such a switch. The FCC is studying the "porting interval" for wireline carriers to determine if it should be shorter. (See Question 9. How long will the transfer take?)

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Q: Can I keep my number if I move to another city?
A: No, not unless you are moving within the same local geographic area where the phone number is currently assigned. Even within the same telephone area code, you may be outside the boundaries of the local calling area that determines if your cell phone number is portable.

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Q: What if I am still under contract with my current wireless carrier?
A: You are required to honor the full term of your current contract or you will be charged a termination fee that is specified in your subscriber agreement

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Q: When should I cancel my current service?
A: You should sign up with your new wireless carrier and complete the number porting process without canceling your current service. Canceling your current service before the porting process is complete will cause you to lose the ability to keep your current phone number. Requesting a number transfer to a new carrier should automatically cancel your previous service, once the transfer is complete.

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Q: How long will the transfer take?
A: The FCC has provided the telecommunications industry with guidelines stating that the porting process should be completed within 2 _ hours. That said, wireless carriers expect up to 80% of the number transfer requests will not be processed automatically, requiring some manual intervention on their part. Because of potential glitches, the number transfer process may take up to 4 days to complete, some carriers warn.

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Q: Will I get charged for transferring my number?
A: It may depend on the carrier you're leaving, since several have not finalized or disclosed the specific policies and procedures they will implement to comply with the WLNP requirement. Verizon Wireless and others have announced their intention not to impose a specific fee for transferring a number to another carrier. But under FCC rules, carriers are permitted to "recover" from subscribers costs directly associated with offering number portability. The extent of those costs is still being debated within the industry.