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May 13, 2009

Mobile industry analysts are saying that T-Mobile USA is one of the wireless carriers that will be more than happy to see the FCC take on the wireline number porting interval issue at its meeting today.

Since February 2007, T-Mobile has been among those carriers lobbying the FCC for a shorter porting interval.

As it stands right now, T-Mobile advises anyone considering its @home hot spot service that porting a home number from a landline phone company to T-Mobile could take six days, maybe even longer.

In sharp contrast, wireless-to-wireless ports are often done before a customer even leaves a store.

Technically, wireline phone companies have four business days to complete a port, but that often turns into six or more when weekends and other issues get thrown into the equation, T-Mobile representatives say.

The wireless operator and other supporters of a shorter interval are calling for wireline ports to be done in one business day or less.

CTIA, members of Congress, consumer groups, state public utility commissions and companies like Sprint Nextel, Comcast, AT&T and MetroPCS Communications have weighed in favor of a shorter porting interval.

About the only companies not on board are ILECs, which stand to lose customers faster with a shorter interval.

In a filing with the FCC on May 7, T-Mobile noted that a recent voluntary next-business day porting agreement between Comcast and T-Mobile demonstrates that advances in technology have undercut ILEC arguments that technology stands in the way of shorter ports.

Most of Comcast’s simple ports to T-Mobile are now done in one business day.

The number porting issue is probably one of the less controversial ones the commission could consider as it awaits a hearing on the nomination of Julius Genachowski as chairman. That hearing has been postponed until after Memorial Day.

President Barack Obama also intends to nominate South Carolina regulator Mignon Clyburn to the FCC.

The FCC now has only three seats filled, with Michael Copps as acting chairman, joined by commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Robert McDowell.

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Source: KNR.