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Yet More on Cellular Number Portability
RadBlock writes "The Wireless Supersite has posted an interesting column analyzing number portability. Wireless carriers have been stalling on the availablity of number portability for years now. The final deadline is supposed to be in November, and it will allow you to keep your wireless phone number when you change carriers (one number for life... the ultimate!)"
True, but you have to pay for those. If the wireless companies could cooperate, you wouldn't have to pay for this. Maybe that's why they aren't cooperating.
If I could keep my number, my incentive to stay with RipOff Cellular goes down, and I'm more likely to switch to UselessMinutes Wireless Inc.
In the end, there's probably just as many people who want to switch from A to B as want to switch from B to A. But even though the numbers of subscribers might remain fairly steady, it is more expensive to lose one customer and gain another than to just keep one.
For the past four or five years, an increasing number of nickel-and-time charges have been appearing on my phone bill... every time I'd ask Verizon about it they would say basically "The FCC made me do it."
Well, one of those numbers was supposed to be specifically to provide phone number portability if I change carriers.
So if I'm not getting phone number portability, why am being charged for it?
Number portability won't give the consumer much really. If you are displeased with the service of one company and decide to change carriers, you also have to acquire a new phone as well as a new number. Sure, that's not a problem when phones are free or only $0.01. But, when you start throwing in these unlimited local services that don't give away their phones, it can be costly to change carriers just because of the equipment change.
I have noticed that some people are complaining, "But if I always have the same phone number, then I can't avoid all those pesky telemarketers/ex-girlfriends/stalkers/parents/lawy ers/etc."
What these people are ignoring is that you merely have the choice to keep the same number - not an obligation. If it behooves you to keep the same number, you may do so; if not, you can drop the number just like you do now.
Giving the public more options is a "Good Thing."
What the heck does a number have to do with privacy?!.. Put down the crackpipe.
Another issues is routing of the call and how much more work this would add for the phone company that they would be willing to charge you more for. In my opinion they charge to much already. It's already solved. Has been for years. Called LNP. It's not technology, it's fear and anti-competitive notions.
Why do you think providers love the heavily fragment market of CDMA, TDMA, CDMA PCS, TDMA PCS, Sprint PCS, iDEN & GSM in the U.S.? Switching is hell.
Why do you think U.S. lags behind in wireless growth?
Poof.
" (one number for life... the ultimate!)"
Err I'm not sure that's the 'ultimate'. The nice thing about having everybody rotate numbers is that telemarketer records have to be updated. Then, there's the whole problem of having to have much longer phone numbers. I don't mean to poo-poo it, just that I kind of like having to rotate once in a while.
One thing I would like, though, is the ability to alias my phone number. I had an idea a few years ago where your e-mail address (or domain name maybe? I dunno...) could be registerred with a central service. This service would store your phone # and mailing address. If somebody dialed your email address on the phone, it would lookt it up in this database and then route the call. As long as you kept your info up to date, then people would only have to remember your email address to talk to you or send you stuff.
Of course there are privacy concerns and other problems I haven't thought of. It's just that on the surface, it seems like a neat idea. Imagine being able to block individuals this way!
Hmm okay I'm rambling. I just think the digital world has the potential to really make things different for the better. I daydream about it sometimes.
"Derp de derp."
...the European cell network is great because of this kind of crap?
I don't care how cool your GSM network tech is or how easy it is to roam from Spain to Syria, if you have to put up with this kind of BS billing game it's not worth it...
Say you were using AT&T Wireless then you switch to Verizon and keep your number. You number is probably still going thru some piece of AT&T since, technically, they control the number range into which your number falls.
So you have a problem such as you can't receive calls. You call your current carrier, Verizon who says the problem is with AT&T since your number falls into their range. You call AT&T who says they are not your carrier so they can't help you. And back and forth you go...
I think I'd rather deal with a number change.
Especially for those of us in states with No-Call lists (or possibly the National No-Call list if it ever comes to pass). Opt-out once and you're off the list for good. Oh, wait. These two ideas are probably opposed for the same reason by the telemarketing industy's lobby.
Planning to be moderated ± 1: Bad Pun.
We don't live in a puely capitalistic society. If we did, there would be no need for a FDA since market forces would force food produces to ensure quality and safety. Obviously, we can't trust market forces only to bend to the will of the consumer, especially when all of the players band together.