Carriers Hoping To Adopt Alternative Number Conversation Methods

Communications Today, Jan 7, 1999

Bell Atlantic Mobile [BEL] and several other wireless carriers are working with the FCC to develop methods of conserving numbers that will convince the FCC to withdraw its planned implementation of wireless number portability (NP) requirements. Oral arguments in a lawsuit filed by Bell Atlantic Mobile and joined by other carriers challenging the FCC's authority to mandate wireless NP had been scheduled for today (1/7) in the 10th U.S.

Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, but were dropped from the court's calendar at the request of the carriers and the commission. The FCC has extended the deadline for wireless carriers to offer number portability from June 30, 1998 is year to March 31, 2000, and last month extended its deliberations on whether to delay the regulation through March 16 this year. "They are strongly considering forbearing from this whole number portability requirement if the industry can demonstrate to the commission show rules by which we would abide to make our use of numbers more efficient," said Fran Malnati, Bell Atlantic Mobile's director of government affairs. He added that his company would withdraw the lawsuit if the FCC agrees to the industry's proposals for conserving numbers. "If the commission agrees that it is going to forbear from imposing number portability on us in exchange for this number utilization program, we see they would probably forbear entirely," Malnati said. "There would be no reason to continue."