Wireline local number portability has been ‘costly experiment tha...
Wireline local number portability has been “costly experiment that has failed to foster competition,” CTIA CEO Tom Wheeler told FCC Chmn. Powell Wed. He reiterated concerns of large wireless carriers that Commission not move forward on rules that would…
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implement wireless local number portability (LNP) by planned date of Nov. 24. Verizon Wireless has asked agency to forebear on that requirement, move opposed by state regulators. “There is scant evidence that wireline consumers have received benefits to justify the $3 billion they were forced to spend for local exchange carrier number portability,” Wheeler wrote. Wireline LNP hasn’t produced benefits originally envisioned by Commission and Congress, he said. Wheeler cited “collapse of competitive local exchange carriers” over last 4 years, period in which he said 225 carriers had entered bankruptcy or merger agreements. Trend “has made it clear that number portability -- by itself -- is not sufficient to ensure a competitive market,” he said. Wheeler said there already was significant competition in wireless market without LNP. He said carriers would spend $1 billion in first year to implement wireless LNP and $500 million in each year after that. CTIA also asked FCC to make decision on wireless LNP forbearance request “as rapidly as possible.” Without “clear direction” from Commission, carriers are having difficulty figuring out how to allocate resources, he said.