Public safety groups asked FCC Wed. to be more active in testing ...

Officials International and National Assn. of Nine One One Administrators want Commission to enforce its wireline-to-wireless number portability nondegradation rules to require wireless carriers to deliver 911 Phase 2 data in customer service area. Wireless carriers face Nov. 24 deadline for both number portability and pooling requirements and large carriers have been urging FCC to exercise forbearance on portability deadline. Filing by NENA and others challenges “the near-simultaneous implementation of wireless local number portability and number pooling, on the one hand, and wireless enhanced 911 Phase 2 service on the other hand.” Public safety groups told Commission they weren’t taking position on forbearance petition on portability filed by Verizon Wireless. Groups said their aim was to ensure 911 service wasn’t degraded by implementation of either wireless number pooling or portability requirements. They said: “A wireless carrier should not be permitted to accept a customer switching from a wireline carrier and retaining the wire telephone number unless the wireless carrier is capable of delivering to the customer Phase 2 wireless E911 service.” They also argued that wireless carrier, if FCC regulations were enforced, shouldn’t be allowed to accept customer from another wireless carrier and retain same wireless phone number “unless its E911 service matches or surpasses that of the losing carrier.” Wireless number portability testing by industry should involve FCC oversight to make sure all wireless carriers involved had test results that showed no degradation or interruption in national networks, “particularly as this applies to 911 and emergency services’ access,” NENA said: “The FCC should make it clear to the wireless industry leadership that it is essential that each wireless carrier have substantial proof, prior to wireless number portability/pooling implementation, that there will be no loss or diminution of 911 service and access to emergency services/public safety.” Groups said “summit meeting” of experts “in the very near future” would help resolve key issues with existing timelines. “Any negative impact could affect several million wireless 911 customers in first year of wireless number portability/pooling implementation,” NENA said.