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FCC Still Pushing for Number Portability on Nov. 24
JediAeryn writes "eWeek.com is reporting the latest on cell phone "number portability." Looks like the FCC is requiring wireless carriers to allow customers to take their numbers with them beginning Nov. 24th. This is all well and good, provided these companies don't throw out more lawsuits to slow the process. My local Verizon store has been giving me the same date for several weeks, but mentioned that other companies are afraid of losing their current customers. My question to the Slashdot community is this: is that a valid concern? Do you plan to switch carriers, and for what reasons?"
I just bought a $270 phone that only works on Sprint. I plan on staying with them as long as my phone holds out. =)
My other sig is an import.
I am thinking of getting a VoIP service like Vonage soon. I wonder if I will be able to take my cell phone number and transfer it over to that service.
and as soon as i get a chance to keep my very easy to remember and hand chosen number, Im switching to a service provider like ATTWS or Sprint.
I take it you mean a valid concern of the carriers?
Of course it is - in the same way it's a valid concern of any business if I take my custom else where.
try to make ends meet, you're a slave to money, then you die
We've had this capability in the UK for a few years now.
Although I've not changed mobile supplier, I know of several people who have without any problems.
I think here that try to keep you, but in the end as long as you have obtained a PUK code, then they can't stop you from keeping your number and changing supplier.
Java gaming nut - http://www.retep.org/ or for the rail http://uktra.in/
I've had at&t for a bit over a year and it's
been just horrendous. I was going to switch
sometime soon even if it means changing my
number... but the Nov 24th date will probably
help my procrastinating...
...and going to Sprint. I want a flip-pda/phone. I know Sprint's service isn't as good, but they have faster data and better phones. Not to mention more reasonable prices. Cingular is one of the carriers that's worried about losing customers, and I can understand why. This is definately a case where they should try competing instead of going to court, but I guess they're desperate.
My phone only works with Sprint, still waiting for someone to figure out how to easily switch carriers on the phone end too.
I was told by ATT that the cost for doing this was *not* cheap, along the lines of $200 at both ends!! Has anyone else heard of what the cost for portability is?
really the main reason i haven't switched is most cell phone places wont let you get a phone unless they have your SSN and i keep telling them i don't have one. i should just start giving out a fake one.
this has never been too much of a concern. it will be nice, but i've switch carriers at least 3 times. the first because sprint began to offer nationwide before anyone else, but now the plans are similar enough across carriers that it will come down to whoever has the technology i want when my current plan is up.
!(^((ri)|(mp))aa$)
A requirement for IP address portability?
This is another example of government's "good" intentions about to go awry. If cell carriers can't count on a consistent base of customers, some of which consistency was predicated on people not switching due to losing their phone number, then the only logical result is that the cost of the service will rise. I hereby predict that a year from now we will be paying more for the same service we have now.
In Canada we're still stuck with changing numbers when we switch carriers. There's no changes planned either. Is my phone number my property or the telephone company's? I can take my home number though with me when I change my home phone company but not my cellular number. This would really be helpful at work. Anyone know of any pending or proposed changes?
Wasn't too excited by Sprint...reception at my house was always lousy for every service provider, though...we're right by major cell towers. They're right on the other side of that stone hill. (This is in Waltham, a suburb of Boston.)
But then recently the reception at home for Sprint got perfect...I guess adding towers and coverage is still an ongoing thing? So I think I'll stick with my now...2 or 3 year old phone.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: The Comic for Dealing with Death
Cell phone companies essentially force you to change carriers every couple of years anyway because of their ridiculous pricing polices:
You sign up with a carrier and get a good deal that requires a 1 or 2 year contract.
At the end of that contract you have to switch to a different rate plan.
All the good (cheap) rate plans are limited to "new subscribers only"
You're faced with the choice of paying substantially more or switching to a different carrier who is offering good deals to new subscribers.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
My service over the past four years with AT&T has been okay, but their plans are (comparatively) high priced and new features have been far and few between. Coverage has been very good, but there's nothing compelling about high cost and few features. It just feels like I'm paying more for the brand than the service...see ya!
No. Mobile to land line portability is later. Maybe.
Of course it's a valid concern, if their service sucks. And if their service sucks, holding customers hostage by their phone numbers is one of the only ways (apart from contract cancellation fees) to keep their customers. Now carriers will have to improve their service if they want customers to stay. What a novel idea!
This as been the case in the UK for a year or so. As you would expect, the phone companies have put as many obstacles in the way of changers as they could - even to the extent of shop staff telling outright lies (not saying this is corporate policy, just individual staff).
But even allowing for this, they hasn't been much churn. Most people "use up" their current phone. When they get a new phone, they may well changfe providers - and put up with the trouble of changed numbers. Those who really don't want their nunmber changed are usually ther fairly conservatibve types who will stay with theur phone an dtheir telco unless really srewed around with. It has probaly led to a flattening out of services: once you examin the small print, there isn't that much to choose between the different schemes on offer, so why change?
Consciousness is an illusion caused by an excess of self consciousness.
I'm a consultant and owner of a retail franchise on the side. People need to call me all the time. Even with that priority, I don't understand the fear of having to change my cell phone number.
I've changed services 3 times in 8 years. Each time I was given a new phone number. All I did was ask the previous cell phone company to cut my minutes to the bare minimum they could, and leave a message on my voice mail saying "I have changed this phone number. Please call me at xxx-xxx-xxxx. Do not leave a voice mail here."
After 30-60 days (around $20-$40 maximum) I ended the previous service. If someone didn't call me in 60 days, why should I care if they have my number or not? There are so many other ways to get a hold of me (e-mail, postal, even calling up one of my businesses), my cell phone number should NOT be an issue. If they only know my cell phone number and none of my other contact points, I honestly don't care all that much about them (or vice versa).
I have a few customers right now who are waiting for portability, but I've heard it may cost $3 to $8 a month to keep your old number. This is crazy! Keep the old number for a few months, pay the monthly charges, and do what I've done -- set up your own "new number information" message.
You lot are only 2 years behind us aussies on this one.
This has been a feature of both landlines and cellular networks for some time in the UK (I'm not sure about the Continent). Strangely enough, the phone system hasn't collapsed and we still seem to have a working telecommunications infrastructure. *touch wood*
In fact, what happened was that some customers switched from company A to company B, and some customers switched from company B to company A, and so on. And people were happy. And companies, the good ones anyway, didn't fall apart, so they were happy too.
I don't know what the motives of the objecting companies are, but perhaps they should think more about the service they're providing - if it's easy for people to switch and they provide a good service, said company could actually benefit.
"This is why men never share their feelings; because women always remember." -Just Shoot Me.
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Well I have been with bell (I am canadian so this actualy dose not affect me) for a long time. and at one point, I almost moved to another companey. the real thing that heldme back was the fact I would lose my cell #. In all honesty, there is no reason I should lose it, its stilll a 416 #, same area ... but hey thats how its set up. So yes I think this is a concern, that allowing people to keep the number well mean more people well switch. so how do you fix this, well you have to make the customer want to stay with you. Not use little tricks to almost force them to stay with you. Its a customer market, and if you the phone companey do not bend tot he customer, you well lose them, simple
I have been wanting to get one of those nifty camera phones, but I have been holding out until the number portability became a reality. I don't want to order new business cards, call everyone I know, and generally create havoc simply because "I want a cooler phone"
Slashdot had an article a while back the number portability would work for cell phone too ground line too.
The text hasn't been modified from the original article.
I left SprintPCS a while back, and it had nothign to do with my phone number. it had to do with faulty customer service, innaccurate billing, and an inability to get anything done without waiting on hold for 2 hours.
Oh, and if I asked how I could speak about my bill quicker, I was directed to a SprintPCS store where I was instructed to pick up a red phone on the wall and wait on hold for an hour. They cut their hold times in half!
Now I'm with T-Mobile. No bad billing, and quick customer service. But 1/2 the time I make a call, it doesn't go through. The second time, though, it usually connects.
Oy!
Don't Crease the Weasel!
I use my cell phone as my main business number. It's a real pain when I change providers because I have to make sure everyone gets my new number. It ruins any advertising I've done with it.
So my solution was to get a 2nd line at my house with NO features at all except CALL FORWARD to my cell phone. I don't even have a phone plugged into it. I give out the phone number on the 2nd line.
Now I can change cell providers easily and just change the number that gets forwarded to.
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it isn't really a valid concern because there'll probably be the same amount of people switching into thier service that are switching out..
so if they are frightned, they have crappy service and deserve this kick in the ass to get competative.
IMHO, they are all pretty bad.. so it doesn't really matter at this point.
What this change means is, every time my contract comes up, I can shop around for the best deal all over again. Since I last got a cell phone, my wife has seen how useful they are. So, now I'm going to shop around for one of those family plans, where calls between two particular phones are free and the two phones share a pool of minutes. Now I don't have to care whether that deal comes from Verizon or someone else. And if I can get a better phone than my old StarTAC, perhaps one that works with iSync, all the better.
If I could not keep my number while switching carriers, there's no way I would even entertain the idea of switching carriers.
I'm planning on using this whole number portability thing to negotiate for a better cell phone, and in return i'll sign another year contract or something. Seems only fair to me.
I am of course somewhat concerened about switching to another carrier due to the draconian agreements you must sign to get a phone or renew your contract these days (2 years!!!???).... as well as the fact that it appears that ALL the carriers suck ass. I hear complaints about everyone.... T-mobile, ATT, sprint, Verizon, all of them apparently have more issues than i think is fair to the consumer. However sprint is probably the MOST proprietary of them all, with no sim's, and horrid connectivity cards.
The greatest thing about the number portability beyond the ability to move over to a new service is that this will no doubt FORCE the carriers to compete on a basis of quality of service as opposed to just price vs performance. By giving people an option to switch we should see carriers start to focus on who can provide the most stable AND cost-effective network.
Not to mention this should give high-speed wireless data a nice shot in the arm with consumers quickly switching over for the faster and more reliable cards.
--Idiots, Every single one of YOU, A flaming mass of conglomerated morons, hey wait a second, isnt that how RAID works?
It'd be nice to have this up here in the wild and wintery north.
:) We dont want to hear from somebody? fine, blocklists :)
:)
I"ve swapped cell phone companys 3 times in the past 2 years, and there are some people I would love to hear from that I couldn't reach, that only have my old number.
ALso the annoyance of updating all my online info with my new cell #, is evil.
All the old resumes I sent that are sitting in dusty cabinets rotting are now not only old, but old and horribly wrong.
This service would flat out rock. I'd love to see the possibility of each person havign a cell # for life, that would rock.
Kinda like our own personal IP address
Firewalls for phones..
Welcome to the End
Right now I'm a pooor college student. I have a cell phone because my dad got a new one (the phone was free) and my mom made me take it because she was worried. I share minutes with my still in high school brother back at home, and my mom pays for it. Once I get a decent paying job I will probably switch to T-Mobile or Sprint. They have the badass intarweb features I want. I might even get one of those cool sidekick/hiptop thingies. But if possible I would like to keep my current cell-phone number with Verizon. It would just be super convenient. Heck, I would even pay a small one time fee for the convenience if I had to. Like $10 or something. I must say, that I am not so displeased with my current service. Verizon seems to have excellent coverage and I have a great plan for telphoning. But in the future I'm looking to do more with portable thingies I can't yet afford.
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I second that. I don't know how he does it, but ArticleText"Troll" (I have to use quotes because he's the farthest thing from a troll that you'll ever find on /.) somehow manages to get to articles before they are slashdotted, on a remarkably consistent basis. Then he posts the article text here so we can all enjoy it. Putting him on your friends list is pretty much the smartest move you could ever make.
I am amazed that it is taking this long to get the number portability issue sort-of rolling. Here in Australia we have had this available to us since September 2001.
The ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) here in Australia are the ones who asked for it to happen in the interest of competition.
If other companies are afraid of loosing their customers then they are obviously not serving them well enough. This sort of thing forces the telcos to provide a better service to their customers since the main barrier to customers leaving will not be there anymore. This sort of thing will really help competition and be better for the industry.
(\(\
(^.^)
(")")
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Nothing profound to say, but my Sprint service has been pretty decent for the past 5-6 years. I'm sticking there. I couldn't care less about the stupid gee-whiz gizmos that come in phones these days (a camera? games? are you fucking kidding me?). But Sprint has good coverage, and no long distance charges.
IOW, some providers have crappy service, and feel that holding their phone number hostage is the only way to keep their customers? That's a pretty sad commentary on their own companies.
cell phones are for pimps and drug dealers.
I've been using my univeristy email account for 5 years now, but I'll be done with school very soon, and with that goes my email account. I almost wish there'd be talk about policies for keeping email addresses throughout the years also.
I've had a phone with Verizon for years. The number spells an easy-to-remember word, and I'm not about to give that up.
As I see it, the FCC decision puts true market forces into play - I've been locked into Verizon because I couldn't carry the number elsewhere. No longer.
Do I switch? Possibly. Verizon doesn't work in my apartment, Sprint does. Sprint has cooler phones. It'll all end up depending on who offers me the best combination of price & service.
Isn't that the way it's supposed to be? Companies competing for customers? C'mon!
'ARRGH! Pirate Designers of the Internet, we be!'
In a time when most legislation is to protect the company, not the consumer, it's nice to see something like this law.
:-)
They've essentially had a strange sort of monopoly over you, where if you wanted to keep your number, you were forced to use their service and had no other options. Other than the "keep your number" part, that is a CLEAR example of a monopoly for existing customers. It's kind of interesting, from an economics point of view
I've got a two year contract (bogus!), but I'm happy with Verizon's service (excellent!) and cost/feature balance. In my area, their coverage is second to none. So I won't be switching, as long as Verizon keeps up with features I want eventually (stylish phone choices, camera, push-to-talk, etc.)
So I think allowing you to keep your number will just make companies work harder to keep their customers. No longer will the desire to maintain a consistent phone number be a reason to stay with your provider, so they will need better and more meaningful reasons to hang on to their customers (such as a superior product/service).
$8.95/mo web hosting
nTelos sees otherwise, though. First (about 2 years ago) they 'upgraded' their system so that the voicemail button on the keypad no longer worked. "Sir, you should get a new handset if you want that functionality to continue!". No problem, I'll just add *86 to the speed dial.
Then, another system upgrade (about a year ago) caused the 'you have voicemail' icon to stay lit continually. Again, "Sir a new handset would take care of that problem. Come in and we'll show you all of our new phones with great extra features!!" Ok, so now I just have wait for the phone to beep if I have voicemail. No biggy.
Now, it seems that if someone leaves a message the system may decide to let me know I have voicemail right then, sometime later, sometime much later, or never. Again, a new handset would solve all of my problems.
These "system upgrades" all in the name of nTelos wanting to lock customers into another contract and pay for an expensive handset are ridiculous. This phone does everything I need.
I've only stayed with nTelos this long after the fiasco started because I've had this phone # for ~8 years (yeah, nTelos got me into a new handset once) and I don't want to go through the hassle of having to change it. Come 11/24 I'm off to a nice nationwide carrier that has a wide range of handsets---not like the 3-5 that nTelos uses. If they wanted my business they'd not be screwing with me like this.
I recently moved from the Boston area up over the border to a small town in New Hampshire (insert cow and/or missing teeth joke here). I work out of my house, so if any provider could offer me good reception on their network from my home, I'd buy on in a heartbeat. Sadly, no provider I'm aware of will let you demo a phone in your home. I'm currently using Verizon Wireless, as of those I've been able to "test" by others' reception issues when they visit my home, Verizon's been the best. My wife has Cingular, which is fine outside the home, shit in it. My work had provided my a cell phone from Nextel, which had zippo coverage for at least a mile around my house. I've also had folks test US Cellular and ATT Wireless, neither with any decent results.
So who gives a crap about phone number portability? Give me signal strength out here in the woods, and I'll give you my money. I'd suggest the government include specified coverage guarantees by a given provider next time they auction off some more wavelengths for the Next Big Wireless Technology.
RW
Number portability got into effect in Finland a couple of months ago. Previously I hadn't felt the need to switch my operator, but now that I could keep my number I switched from Radiolinja to Saunalahti. They also supply my DSL so I don't have to pay a separate monthly fee. I pay .11 to .23 cents per minute (depending on destination operator) and only 1,50e per megabyte for GPRS which is cheap compared to my previous operator. Saunalahti also uses Sonera's network which is the best this country has to offer.
I'm not the only one to switch either. In fact, since number portability came into effect, almost all carriers have been swamped with orders. Some people switch because they are offered freebies, some switch due to low prices and some switch just because they have been pissed off by their original operator one too many times. One thing is for sure. People are switching and the competition is fierce.
I see no reason why it should be any less fierce in the US and as we all know, the more there is competition, the better it is for the consumer.
I'm planning to change right away, because I'm tired of waiting for Verizon to support the Treo 600. Sucks, because I've been very happy with their coverage, esp in the DC and NY areas. I'll be sure to tell them exactly why I'm switching. And word is that this is as much a business opportunity as it is a risk. Expect to see very aggressive "competitive upgrade" offers from competing providers... as long as you don't mind 2-year contracts.
wordclock records
Is to make the damned phones portable from carrier to carrier, not just the number.
This is a perfect example of corporate greed vs. customer choice. Big corporations again are acting out of unrelenting greed instead of considered judgement.
Customer choice is king. Locking people in, and telling them that the phone number that they have been using for the past 5-10 years is the property of the telephone company are examples of companies out of control - they are breaking the law and intention of antitrust legisilation.
This is why you can't trust big companies to self regulate. They can't. They don't see the "big picture" - which is that consumers want choice.
If they would spend the money wasted on lobbyists (all lobbyists should hang, right before the lawyers) on upgrading their networks and paying customer service reps a little better (so they're nice), they would find that they can strip away customers more easily from their competition.
Apparently, these corporations think there is more money to be made off of people who don't have cell phones, then by stealing away their competition's customers. Which is perfectly stupid because the cell phone market is saturated.
But, we can hope that Micheal Powell might actually do something for the consumer and help clear his name from the consolidation mess.
I live in SW missouri, Springfield to be exact (awaits Simpsons comments), and I went to the Alltel store yesterday as my business partner uses them and has been quite happy with their service, but was ready for an upgrade on his handset (he had an old Nokia 4100 or 5100) and asked them about number portablity. The Alltel sales rep was friendly and told me, "Our billing system is ready, but they are starting with the top 100 metro areas in the country. We won't be able to do that down here until late spring, proably around May and June."
May or June of 2004...I can't wait that long. I mean when it takes effect would be the best time because I know everyone is going to bend over backwards with good deals to steal each other's customers. Unfortunatly the cost of reprinting business cards and other materials looks to be a lot less than the potential of lost clients/jobs if I don't switch now.
So yes, number portablity is good...if it really would be available on November 24th everywhere.
"The problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other people's money" - Thatcher.
Inflation signs one-year deal, will remain on the economic team through 2004!
I hereby predict that a year from now we will be paying more for the same service we have now.
I just swtiched from Nextel (too expensive) to US Cellular (Chicago area). I have been really pleased with their service except for where I work, but that is a local issue. Residents dont want towers around them. Try looking at US Cellular for local plans, their nationwide suck.
I was called out of the blue by a Sprint PCS rep to ask how I liked the service. Living next to NYC I said I thought the service could be better and that in an emergency (Blackout, terrorist attact, ect . . .)Sprint was totaly useless.
I also mentioned that I'd probably be changing carriers on Nov-24 when number portability kicked in. The rep quickly offered me a deal that is only a penny higher than I pay now that included unlimited nights and weekend, 50
more anytime minutes, and kept my evenings start of 8pm, but with a one year contract.
I didn't take the offer, if they're willing to give this now I can only imagine what they'll be willing to do once the panic fully sets in.
AS a side note I called Sprint on the number portability charge and the rep told me it was a tax and that I'd have to talk to the tax authority about it. I said Okay if it's a tax who gets the menoey, the local, state, or federal gov? After about 10 minutes she finally admitted they (Sprint) got the money. Gotta love em.
I have no
I have been using the same service from AT&T Wireless for the past 4 years... I inquired about upgrading my package to their digital 'MLife' network the last time I was purchasing a new phone, and I was informed I would receive a new phone number if I moved to digital. How crazy is that, when a company can't allow me to keep the same phone number on their own service?
So, knowing this law was up and coming, I've decided to wait until it is in effect.. only then will I be able to switch to the digital network of the same company I use today and keep my current phone number.
That is where I see cell phone companies not wanting you to take your number with you for. Yes, my private cell phone number could be changed super easy. Tell my friends, family, and maybe one or two other people.(I no longer have a personal cell, but I used to switch it every year) But my work phone is another deal entirely. It has been several weeks and I have sent out emails to everyone here at work, updated our company directory, updated the Exchange listing, and updated the helpdesk. I also have voicemail on my old number telling them to call the new one. I also have to get the company to get new buisiness cards for me. Now let us say your entire company is going to switch from AT&T to Verizon. Let's say you have 1000 cell phone numbers. That means you have to have 1000 sets of new buisiness cards printed out. Contact all of your customers. Make all changes on the external and internal web pages. Hope all your suppliers don't just use your number's in their palm pilot's(or jotted on the big sheet of paper in their desk) but actually look up your new number everytime. ETC. This is a HUGE expense and makes it very difficult for companies to switch. Now let us change this. I am a company with 10,000 phones. Verizon over here says come switch all 10k phones to us for one year and we can do this for you. Boom switched. Accounting only has to change where they pay. Next Year AT&T lures you back. (Yea I know people still probably have to switch phones)
For phone companies now they have to compete much tighter to fight for those juicy corp accounts. I know they like those better cause my wife's cell phone bill is ~14$ a month. She uses it for emergencies only. Mine for work is ~500$ a month. Which account would you want to hold on to desperately as a cell phone carrier?
I am 31337 or something.
I have T-Mobile and the signal quality in my house is so poor that my phone rarely works there. As far as I'm concerned they can take a hike whether I have to get a new number or not. When are these companies going to learn that trying to restrain customer choice with technological measures is an unsuccessful way to keep customers?
After 3 rings on my home phone it forwards to my mobile.
I just give people my home phone number.
Vonage forwarding is free and you can set the number of rings etc. on their web site
This way I can change mobile numbers and no one knows
In fact, just the opposite. I've been gradually upgrading my plan by continuing my service for another year, and now I must say I have an awesome plan.
$28 a month, 300 anytime, unlimited nights and weekends (starting at 8pm), free wireless web, pcs->pcs calling. I think it's an awesome deal for the amount I use the phone.
You know how I got those? I just called the customer service center and asked if they could do anything better for me. That's all. I didn't even have to play the "i've been thinking about switching to carrier xxxx" card, either.
I don't think you understand how much the companies WANT to have you as a customer. They don't have a monopoly, (unless you're in po dunk, nowhere) and they know it. Threaten to switch carriers and I bet you they will give you a deal. If not, well, that's their loss.. it's how the free market works. In that case switch to a new carrier and probably get a free phone out of the deal.
The sending of this message pretty much inconveniences everyone involved.
Great service, no reason to leave. And the new i730 is sexy :)
Ubuntu- Linux for human beings.
I currently have now plans on switching providers but I've had this number now for 2 years and regardless of hardware issues it would be very impractical to try to get a new number to all of the clients that have my current number. I may not even know who some of them are since they could be potential clients that got my number from someone else without my knowledge.
Yeah, well, you can go fuck a kangaroo.
I have been thinking about switching for a while now, but it's a pain in the $%^ to switch to a new number-so it's kept me from seriously exploring my options. When this goes into effect, though...oh man, I am so getting a new phone+plan! Goodbye Ericsson phone that resets every other time someone calls me!
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My point, for some people in some businesses, your approach is adequate. For others, it is not. And number portability is important. It all depends on how frequently your repeat customers call you.
I was so frustrated with my mobile company (T- mobile), that I was red in the face every time I had to deal with them. I had been a loyal customer for two years and was ready to upgrade my phone. They had no upgrade plan. I had to pay the full $400 for a phone that was $199 ($99 after rebate) for a new customer. I talked to the sales rep, talked to a customer service person on the phone, etc. They understood my problem, but the company had no official position on upgrades at the time. I wound up purchasing a new phone at the higher rate. One year later, I wanted a phone that would synch with my Mac via Bluetooth. Again, I have the same dilemma! they still had no official plan or offer.
This was the end. I switched to AT&T and haven't been sorry. AT&T *HAS* an upgrade policy in place. I just wish that I could have moved my number too. I just didn't want to wait for number portability. When I called T-mobile to cancel my account...they asked why I was canceling and I told them. The lady (very pleasant lady BTW) said that she could give me a better deal on a phone if I stayed a customer. I asked her why the official T-mobile store and the phone rep that I talked with couldn't do it before and she replied that they only offer it when the customer is about to cancel service. She also stated that number portability has forced them to draft new policies on phone upgrades! The ONLY reason I did not like their company was this upgrade problem.
I really think that this number portability plan will be a wake-up call for mobile companies and force them to be a better provider. Otherwise customers will vote with their pocket books when their contracts are up. I am finally glad to see something coming out of Washington that is worth a damn.
So some of the cell companies like Verizon Wireless are arguing that this will increase costs while decreasing competition. All I can see come by this is increased competition. The company with the best network and/or customer service will be the one that comes out on top. Cingular has the 'best' network out here in southern Louisiana. At least that is what most people think. I use a Verizon Wireless phone that is supposed to be one of the 'worst' networks out here and I generally have better coverage. Cingular is lagging behind in network technology as they still do not have a 3G network. I see companies like Sprint, Verizon, and AllTel picking up a lot of customers and services like T-Mobile and Cingular losing a good bit of customers.
The answer is: because those utilities were birthed in an era where that sort of nonsense wasn't tolerated. In order to maximize sales and squeeze every possible dollar from consumers, the noveau-utilities have produced a truly byzantine system. A contract is necessary to pay for your underwritten hardware, to make up for activation costs that may or may not already have been covered by an activation fee, and of course, to slow market forces and squelch competition.
Wireless service companies presumably have newer tech; so why is it more difficult for them to establish accounts than it is for traditional utilities? The water company has to send a guy out to mess around with pipes. Presumably all sprint has to do is make some changes in a database. So why are activation fees comparable for both?
It would be nice to see honest activation fees, realistically priced hardware and an end to contracts. But it ain't gonna happen until these utilities have matured and the regulatory climate in Washington has swung back to a pro-consumer position.
We've been doing this for a few years, mandated by Oftel (the occasionally useful telecoms regulator). The networks kicked up a fuss at first but eventually realised they could find other ways to screw money out of their customers. In practice I hear the transfer process is quite slick, only takes a couple of weeks, and is free.
When I am king, you will be first against the wall.
Considering t-mobile in nyc (according to customer support the network has been down for weeks, I haven't been able to make or get calls in that time) I'll be plan shopping after the 24th.
My local Verizon store has been giving me the same date for several weeks, but mentioned that other companies are afraid of losing their current customers. My question to the Slashdot community is this: is that a valid concern?
/.ers and thus barred from breeding) will be paying the number-portability fee; the phone companies will never give up a cash cow, and that's what the fee will be.
Well they're already charging you a number-portability fee. And most carriers have been charging the fee for months.
And even after they've paid off the cost of the number portability system (and let's face it, it's a database -- how expensive can it be?) they'll continue charging the fee in perpetuity.
Your great-grandchildren (were you not
So it seems only fair, since you have been paying the fee for months, and will pay the fee forever hereafter, for the phone company to actually give you what you've been paying for.
Or perhaps I'm unsympathetic -- given all those CEO bonuses the big phone companies insist on paying, perhaps they really do need to charge you for something they don't actually provide, while incidently locking in consumers and preventing market competition.
Opinions on the Twiddler2 hand-held keyboard?
By making the numbers portable, users will not put up with screwy pricing or bad service if they can move. That said what will happen is that as a company get a good rep for better pricing, enough users will leave to make the network that is losing subscribers to match. You will get the fairly equal pricing that you get in the airlines these days. Also, as users switch they will overburden the "good" providers bringing their service down and bringing up everyone elses. It really means that the phone company that can provide the service (and customer service) cheaper and has a good network, will make money and those that can't execute will be screwed.
The companies that are worried about losing their customers have every reason to be. The ones that are worried are most likely the ones that know that needing to keep their number is the only thing keeping customers around. The only way to keep them around after number portability kicks in is to *gasp* improve the quality of their service. Why do you think they are fighting it?
Which is the whole point. Number importability is a way for telcos to lock you into using their service. And someday -- someday -- the majority* will understand that letting corporations lock you into using their products is bad and stupid and you should never do it.
I hope this takes effect. I'm not planning on switching services immediately, but I sure as hell want the option to switch if and when my service lags behind. Because what is the god-damned point of competition if people can't choose to use the instead?
* Maybe I don't give "the majority" credit. All the telcos lock you in with number importability, so it's not like you had a choice. And it may just be that it's merely the minority known as "management" that doesn't understand the problem with lock-in.
The enemies of Democracy are
I'm changing...
Why? Because I'm sick of all the places with no service.
I live in the West SF Valley, and except for the area immediately around my house, there's no signal... (For LA residents, the no signal area appears to be between Woodlake and Shoup (E-W boundary) and Ventura and Vanowen (N-S boundary).
Oddly, this only started in the last month or so.
And it's not just locally, too. Seems like everywhere I go, people are chatting on phones, and I get no signal, or signal level of 1. It's ridiculous.
If my wife and I can keep our numbers when we change providers, I'm gone.
The only reason we have the rights we have is that people just like us died to gain those rights. -- Cheerio Boy
They should be afraid if they charge me a monthly fee - more than a quarter or two - for the 'privilege' of this service. Assuming telco service is a commodity item (some more than others), one of the key differentiators will be what does it cost to maintain your old number with this new service. Looks like AT&T tacks on a fee already.
Course they could collude rather than compete... nah... what are the odds of that happening?
+++ UGUCAUCGUAUUUCU
Cool! I don't think we have every had a company post on /. before! Welcome to the site!
Cell companies should be afraid of losing their current customers if portable numbers are introduced. But that has more to do with their crappy customer service, outragous prices, and unreliable services than it does with number portability. Providers have used the fact that you can't take your number with you to lock customers into substandard service because it's a pain to have to switch numbers. Now, they'll actually have to work to keep customers instead of extorting loyalty out of them.
Anthony Papillion
Advanced Data Concepts, Inc.
"Quality Custom Software and IT Services"
And the CRTC in Canada continues to lag behind in mobile number portability. Anyone know if they are planning to follow suit?
A google search revealed Mobile number portability page on The International Telecommunications Users Group (INTUG) site.
Here is their position paper on numbering which supports portability.
Corporate Gadfly
Jonathan Archer: the most beaten up Enterprise captain in Star Trek history
Because I need this phone number-- it's been my only contact at points, and there are people that I no longer talk to that do not have any other way to contact me.
/ex
I plan on changing providers because I'm tired of fighting my provider's bad coverage in my area. I used to not be able to get reception at my house or place of work-- meaning 90% of the day I was out of contact anyway.
Well, there's also the nokia 3360 which was an issue. I managed to destroy mine quite thoroughly, then brought it in to take advantage of my insurance and *GET A DECENT FUCKING PHONE*.
"No, we can't do that" Fine. I want my 6190 back. it wasn't supposed to be replaced in the first place. I can't use this phone, it makes my bloodpressure soar. "I'm sorry, they no longer make that" Fine, then give me something with the same number of buttons that actually locks and that the biggest fucking key on the phone isn't "dial/hangup". In fact, I demand separate dial/hangup keys. I'm willing to pay. "Well, if you sign up for a 3 year contract"... Fuck you and your contract, I want a goddamned phone now. I want a goddamned phone that doesn't cause me to go into violent outbreaks, and I intend to fucking dump you as soon as I can go to someone else, so I'm not gonna pay 500 dollars for a phone that you give away free with a 2 year contract.
I ended up getting a 3190 I think. I really like this phone. Nice, simple, does what I want it to do. Separate dial/end buttons, and... well, it just works. I even can get reception at home and work now... Now only if it worked at the place I'm moving to...
I have had T-mobile (formerly known as voicestream) who'se service has always sucked in DC. Granted I have a GSM phone, but I see adds where Jamie (whore) Lee Curtis (now Katherine (whore) Zeta Jones) is using their phone in places where I know from experience that the phone does not work.
In DC, Verizon and Sprint have the best networks and I will be gladly moving away from T-mobarf asap.
(The cruddy service has been demonstrated using multiple phones b/c I wanted to keep the #.)
College students ard hard to reach with classes running at odd ball hours and all night coding sessions. A cell phone number that doesnt change is great in that it allows perspective employers a stable place to reach you and allows your family to have your number on hand without the hassle of locating "this years number". I use my cell for business and pleasure and its nice to know a resume I sent out a year ago to an employer that wasnt hiring and now is has a dependable medium to contact me. Sometimes emails just arent appropriate.
Number portability would allow me to move to a new provider and not abandon the number I've had for 4+ years now. Not to mention the fact that in New Jersey, most exchanges are filled to the point that most new cell phones are now based in areas that may be considered long distance from the town you bought it in.
Um .. yeah. I can't think of anything buy or use on a regular basis that I'm paying less for now than I was a year ago (Except perhaps free software, once adjusted for inflation).
Even though I've had the same cell phone service package for the last 5+ years it seems to get more expensive every year - new fees (and taxes). If you call and ask your carier what they are for you usually get really vage answers or an "I don't know", too.
I do agree that this will open up competition and ultimately hellp keep overall pricing lower, though.
I've been wanting to change carriers for about 2 years now, but keeping the old line active for a year (with a my new number is message) isn't appealing to me. Many of the people who have my number are important to me, but infrequent callers.
Your IP portability comparision is bunk - there is already a layer between an IP and a domain name - DNS. It provides for the portability of domain names. The proposed regulation esentially ensures that your phone number becomes as portable as a domain name is now. That makes sense to me; both your domain name and your phone number are how other "end users" reach you.
That vision service blows. SMS on Sprint phones blows even more - I mean, what's up with sending you an SMS message to tell you that you have a SMS message that you have to go read on a web page? Worse yet, what is up with having to send a SMS message from a web page? Sprint did their entire data thing so half assed it ain't even funny. So I went with T-Mobile and a Sidekick.
Would not have minded keeping my old PCS number, but it is really no big deal to me. Not many people had the number anyway, even though I had it for 5 years.
I'm looking forward to switching away from my sprint service mostly because dealing with their customer service, when you can actually talk to a person, is a pure nightmare. Anyone recommend an alternative with a decent CS perspecive?
"as plurdled gabbleblotchits on a lurgid bee" - Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz. (One man's humorous is another mans flamebait)
but is the thought of a cellphone company losing customers something that the FCC should care about. With the current free-market-at-all-cost mentality in this country why would the FCC do anything to help force people to use one company over another.
The bottom line is that it is good for consumers to have the freedom to change carriers and bad for carriers to allow consumer to change more easily. Of course, the phone companies can just do a better job then their competitor and they won't have to worry about losing customers. Perhaps I am just oversimplifying things though.
LoRider
Ill be leaving T-mobile, i first signed up with them through an employee plan so my plan still really good even though i am technically no longer eligible for the plan, but their customer service is horrible.
I had an accident with my phone (got thrown into the pool with it in my pocket), and since they never offered insurance i was forced to dole out another 300 bucks. so i order the phone from them on a thursday, get overnite shipping, and was told i would have the phone at the latest monday... i call on tuesday because it still hasnt shown up. they say oh, it should be there in a day or 2, and keep calling for 2 weeks. finally i get someone who said that my phone was on backorder and id have it in another week or so, so i cancell the order and but it somewhere else... needless to say, i recieved my phone that next week, 3 weeks after my order, a week after i cancelleed it, and it becomes my job to return it within 1 week or i have to pay for it...
As soon as this new contract is up im switchin, and now that i can take my number with me... verizon or sprint... here i come!!!!
But I would like to note. They are afriad of losing there customers??? Well get your service up to par. If you arn't willing to give them the service they want, you don't deserve their business. At this point the only reason you keep business is because they are chained to their phone number. Good for the FCC. Kill big company bullshit tactics.
If i can get the same deal (price vs. number of minutes and day/night start times) from the T-Mobile, as i get now from Sprint - I am switching in a second.
GSM service doesn't give much advantage here but having it is very useful when traveling abroad and SMS messages can come in handy. While traveling in Europe recently, I was the only one without a cellphone (with choices being - to buy a new service over there or rent, both incurring too much startup cost).
I don't plan on changing providers neciscarily. I do, however, plan on getting a new phone subsidy and a cheaper plan from my current provider. Specifically, I want the $150 discount on the Treo 600 even though I've been a Sprint customer for 4 years already and will certainly not be having a "new activation". Of course, if they won't buy my loyalty I'll switch....
I expect that service contracts will be more strictly enforced after this goes into effect. I'm glad I'm not bound by any annual agreement.
Of course it will cost companies customers. Not only in general, but there's going to be a hellish period where, I'm going to guess, millions of people suddenly switch companies in late November. I know a lot of people who are unhappy with their current companies and are simply waiting until November to move companies.
I recently switched companies (and consequently phone numbers) and it was a little bit of a hassle, but it was neccessary. If I hadn't been forced to switch due to a truly horrible national plan option with AT&T I would have held out for November as well. It's going to be fun watching all the companies scramble to keep their customers.
So yeah, it's a valid concern for them. I'd expect more lawsuits shortly.
Brian
--
RumorsDaily
I've had 6 different cellular numbers in the last 2 years. Very often with two cell phones at once. First I just had a personal one, then I switched to a different personal carrier, then I got one my company paid for. Then I cancelled my personal phone. Then my work switched carriers, so I got a new phone again. Then I got a phone from my workplace (I was a Government contractor: first phone was from the company I was employed with, the second from the place I was contracted to). So I had two work phones. But then I the contract switched over, and although I stayed at the same job, I switched what company I was working for. So then I lost that phone and got a personal one again. Now I'm no longer working there so I've lost the second phone I got from my workplace.
And, seriously? I haven't had a problem at all with people not being able to reach me. It would be nice to always keep the same phone number, but it's possible to do without it...
Sig.i>
I wouldn't hold my breath for Nov 24th. There's a significant number of techinical issues that have yet to be worked out, that the FCC has conviently ignored.
Can the wireless carriers implement number portability? Yes... Will it break a bunch of a stuff if they do? Yes again.
One of the most significant things that still has to be addressed is exactly how, who, and when the PSAP databases get updated. For those of you not up on telco terminology, the PSAP database is what 911 uses to locate you by your caller-id info.
Of course, the major issue with the carriers has to do with increased billing costs. Each carrier (wirelines and wireless) has their areas divided into rate centers. These are typically, but not always, associated with NPA-NXX numbers. Visit NANPA for more info on NPA-NXX.
Moving numbers between carriers will mess with the rate centers severely, for awhile anyway, and cause much confusion between carriers in relation to call termination charges, etc.
Sig??? I don't need no stinkin Sig!
You're dang straight I'm switching when I can. I have had my # for about 2 years, but I changed jobs and moved into a different apartment. In both places my reception totally stinks. I can only talk to mom when I"m driving to or from work, or out for dinner etc - very not good. I've been intentionally waiting to change service until my cell provider stops being an annoying brat and lets me move my number to a company that actually gets reception where I live and work.
They have number portability in Vancouver thru a cell phone company called FIDO see here; company press release http://www.microcell.ca/EN/04/index.asp?id=04&sid= 01&contentID=2623
details here
http://cityfido.ca/en/flash.html (flash site)
I think this will be good for the telcos with cell service, as regular phone lines will be flooded with competition from Voip companies.
Plus in Canada, cell phone companies are not as regulated so prices will go up.
(how do you make links, in this?)
I've used Verizon now for ten years, and although they're not exactly God's gift, I haven't had any problems with them, personally. So I won't be switching. But I do know others, especially contractors (construction, electrical, etc.), who use Nextel phones because of their (annoying) walkie-talkie feature but, at the same time, hate Nextel with a passion because of their poor customer service and limited coverage area. (We live five miles from Ground Zero (Washington, D.C.), and in our 'hood Verizon phones get 100% signal; Sprint, between 50 and 75%, and; Nextel, 0%.) Now that Verizon has a walkie-talkie feature, I know several of these guys are going to ditch Nextel, especially if they can keep their cell number. Wireless portability will clinch it for them.
I hereby predict that a year from now we will be paying more for the same service we have now.
Like another person replied, inflation may have something to do with prices consistently rising.
If cell carriers can't count on a consistent base of customers, some of which consistency was predicated on people not switching due to losing their phone number, then the only logical result is that the cost of the service will rise.
ummm... if people switch to a different provider if the numbers are portable, then it's due to service. those who aren't offering reasonable service for a reasonable price are going to end up raising prices, and then tank. that's the way capitalism works.
keep in mind that the cell phone market, with regards to the customer base, will NOT get any smaller with this, if anything it'll get bigger... new customers because of number portability would even mean the opposite of what the quote above predicts.
"I have no special gift, I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein
My favorite part of the article:
heh. 4 years and they're complaining about not having "guidance". assh*les.
-sweatyb
It breaks my pluginses, my precious!
I am using Sprint right now. I am generally happy with the service, but I want to get a new phone and they don't have the good deals for existing customers. If I switch to AT&T or T-Mobile, I can get a nice new phone for free (on amazon.com etc.) These free offers for the good phones are not available for existing customers. I don't really care if my number can switch with the change, but it will be nice if it does. I also moved to a new apartment - penthouse in Boston and the reception from sprint there is not good - even on the roof. I get good reception in most other places in Boston though.
Of course, my service was crappy, and of course Verizon started making great strides in my area. Now literally everyone I know who has had a cell phone for more than three years in this area is using Verizon. Friends have tried Sprint and T-Mobile, but they all wound up sticking with Verizon. They like it for local service and a couple of them who travel say it has the best coverage nationally as well.
My primary work phone is my cell phone, and I'm not interested in changing my business cards and going through the hassle of changing numbers. Forwarding arrangements are fine and dandy, but I want to draw the line in the sand right here and simply keep the number I established two years ago.
Being able to hold onto one number would be nice, especially in this age of constant number changes, passwords, account logins, and so on.
The cell networks are used to getting business based on crafty marketing and the fact that it's really difficult for customers to truly verify how well a network will work for them until they purchase a plan. The companies that know they're weak are putting up a tremendous fight because they depend on this lack of transparency.
Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
Silly silly silly...
Hong Kong has had number portability for years. The cell companies immediately used it as a marketing vehicle to get new customers.
It lowers the barrier for people to switch, which means that companies will find it easier to get new customers as well as will find that it's easier to loose customers as well. It all balances out...
I don't know if they do the same here in Thailand, but then most people buy rechargeable SIMS instead of signing up for an account. It would be great to be able to move one of these numbers but then it sort of defeats the whole purpose of not having to have the hassle of getting a bill every month...
...and not getting it? There's a charge on my telephone bill every month for "phone number portability." When it appeared, I called my carrier (Verizon) to ask what it was. They said it was to pay for whatever the phone companies needed to do in order to enable me to change carriers without changing phone numbers.
But when I wanted to change my cell phone carriers they told me I couldn't keep my number.
Why not? What have I been paying for all these years?
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
I swapped over from Vodafone to T-Mobile and found that a new phone on T-Mobile would be cheaper than an upgrade with Vodafone. I could have taken out a new account with Vodafone for a better handset price but I could not port my number 'within' the network.
Vodafone lost an old customer, a possible new customer and had to get their support staff to port the number to my new network.
Crazy.
Call Sprint and have them send a tower list update to your phone if you haven't yet done so.
I had a few dead spots in my town and they ran their update and it filled them in.
I don't know how much is real and how much is smoke and mirrors but according to the Sprint rep the PCS phones do not automatically just find new towers. They have a list of towers in their firmware they can talk to. The list does not update automatically ---they assume if it's working you don't need it as it allows them to keep other towers free from overload.
according to the Sprint rep, if they haven't specifically done this, your towerlist in your phone may not have been updated since the manufacture date of the phone. Your phone may not even see new hardware a block away.
I wish I could find out more about this from someone other than a help guy on the Sprint network. Is ther any trueth to this? Is it just a ploy --- a placebo to comfort irate customers? I don't know.
See the Pictures of the Flood of '08
I've been with AT&T Wireless for two years. My contract is up at the end of this month, and I'm planning to switch to Verizon. I live southwest of Boston; and although my coverage is fine in the city, my coverage is bad/non-existent within about a four-mile radius of my house. It's really quite frustrating, not to be able to place calls while I'm running local errands.
My mother, on the other hand, has been using Verizon for the same period of time, and has no problems with her reception. It's too bad, because I really like my little Nokia phone. I don't want a gadget, with a billion games; I just want the ability to place calls and to send text messages. (Is that blasphemy, on Slashdot?)
I considered getting a phone compatible with Verizon's walkie-talkie service, but decided against it. It's actually pretty stupid, when you think about it. Only one person can talk at a time, and you can't shut off those stupid beeps. Its only advantage is how it bills airtime -- which makes it very logical for businesses, but stupid for normal folks.
I was disappointed to read the recent poll, when Bluetooth came in last on a list of desired cellphone features. I've got a PowerBook G4 with Bluetooth, and it would be nice to be able to sync my address book and calendar. Right now, about the only phone I can get with Bluetooth is Nokia's new camera-phone, with the ridiculous circular keypad. I hope Nokia or Motorola will make a few more practical phones, equipped with Bluetooth...but it doesn't seem likely.
cribPlease don't read my journal
Pass the maple syrup, eh?
Heck yeah. I was able to pick a number that spelled something pretty cool (www.phonespell.com) and easy to remember with my first carrier. I recently decided to get a second phone (because of contract lock-in and service dissatisfaction with my first) so now I'm paying for two phones.
With Sprint (my second carrier) I had to choose my number twice with the store personnel (his mistake) only to be informed by a second assistant (the one on the phone activating my service) that my number was yet a third. So my new number isn't easy to remember and has zeros so it can't spell anything.
If this goes through, and probably the biggest "if", IF Sprint decides to let me change my number, I'll be changing it immediately.
My current contract w/ AT&T is up in November, and they are unwilling to give me a good price to upgrade to a Sony Ericsson T616, so I'll be taking my number and going to T-Mobile. The T610 is available from them for free after rebate, and Amazon is currently offering the Jabra bluetooth headset for $19.99 when purchased with a T610.
-- Charles A. Plater
If a company offers competitive products, with good consumer support, etc, then why should they worry about losing customers? It's their responsibiltiy to provide a service customers will want to stick with. If they aren't doing that, then so be it. They shouldn't stay in business.
I'll be switching. I have been quite frusterated with my current carrier and would love to switch but my # is on business cards and such and in everybody's address books. Too difficult and expensive to try to update all those.
companies are afraid of losing their current customers. My question to the Slashdot community is this: is that a valid concern?
No it is not! The amount of US businesses that are taking a legal road to hold on to customers is sickening. This is anti-inovation. Wasn't there something about free-trade in this country? I always asumed that was a two way street, where new companies where allowed to coexist next to esthablished companies AND customers where allowed to make their own free choice with whom they did business.
When the 'number portability' issue is solved, there will be just as many phone companies who end up with MORE customers as there will be ones with LESS. If you think you are a company that will lose customers I suggest you step up on your service.
after my cell phone blew up.. i figured it was time to move on.
I've got Nov 24th marked down. I still haven't decided who to go with yet. Perhaps Verizon. I'm just happy to keep my phone number.
There is nothing inherently safe about liberty. That's why so many people died protecting it.
I currently have Verizon service. When my contract expires in mid march of next year, i fully intend on changing to a bluetooth enabled phone. I was speaking with the Verizon rep the other day, and he told me that there arent enough people asking for bluetooth phones for them to invest in that technology, and provide those phones. The kicker of the situation was when he told me that we have a bluetooth headset! gah.
I honestly dont care about the camera-phone aspect (AT&T has a nice bluetooth phone with no camera). I'll probably switch to that when everything is all said and done. I really do like the verizon service, but it's sad they dont offer the phones and features that i'd like to pay for.
-Tim
Carriers are worried about losing customers over this but won't they also gain customers that leave the other carriers. There will be a shuffle as those who are "trapped" by not wanting to change their number but it will likely shake out where it is today.
Besides, if you are ticked off with your carrier enough to switch it's not likely that losing your cell phone number is that much of a deterrent. I know a few people that have gone through at least 3 carriers and it didn't stop them.
Some of what I say is fact, some is conjecture, the rest I'm just blowing out my ass...you guess.
sorry.
I want 2D games back.
Cell numbers dont have thier own area codes. If there is cell number portability, you esentially never have to get rid of your cell number. But what if you move?
You keep your number, but anyone in the new area will find your cell number is long distance.
We should have area codes specifically for cellular phones. That way they would be trully mobile. You could always have that number.
In America we are imprisoned by our fear of them.
Guess who's in the telecom biz now? Yep, Verisign. Any carrier that can't get their own system up and running will be looking for someone to outsource it to, and Verisign will be right there to take their cash.
Of course it is a valid concern of the carriers.
They may indeed lose customers. That's the whole
point of letting customers keep their number when
they move on: To make it easier for customers to
switch carrier, and thus increasing competition!
This kind of thing has been done in several
countries in Europe years ago, and it works exactly
as planned: If people are unhappy with their telecom
carrrier they'll switch immediately. This does
wonders for support and prices! You should all
urge this change folks -- we Europeans like it.
I couldn't wait for portability. Cingular was sucking, so, I switched before I could take my number with me. Now, the current number will be the one I take with me a year from now. If my new carrier starts to suck, which, I doubt.
My 3.1415 cents
EJ
I hated Sprint, I couldn't get a signal at work after recently switching offices (not near outside wall anymore). I also could barely get a signal at our new house. We had been waiting until my wife's contract was up. She also wanted to wait so she could keep her number. We couldn't wait anymore. Our first child is due next week and I needed a cell phone that could work at the office. We switched to Verizon. With mobile to mobile and shared minutes, we get order of magnitude better service, and more minutes for the same cost. We gave up our good numbers. Since only friends & family had them, it wasn't too bad.
My cell phone is my only phone because I was tired of the local bell charging me for every time I moved. With a cell phone I just move no calling the company to move the line, no getting billed extra for the move, no having to take off work to be at the house between 12:00 and 5:00 and I can keep the same number just about any where. With this if the coverage is bad when I move again I can find a provider that has better coverage for a fee though but I can live with that.
I'm going to use the number portability mandate as leverage to get a better deal from my current provider.
Every service provider is going to see thousands of lost customers as people take their numbers and see what life's like with another provider. The smart thing to do is offer current customers incentives to stay with them -- less effort to put the cancellations and number transfers through, plus a continued guaranteed revenue stream.
So I'm going to ask for a lower service fee than I currently pay. I only use a fraction of my available minutes; I'd switch to a lower plan but they don't offer any -- at least, not publicly. If they want to retain my account they'll dredge up an unadvertised plan that meets my needs, or at least knock a few bucks off my current plan.
I'm also going to upgrade my phone, and I'm not going to pay full retail for it. Why should a new customer with no brand loyalty get a phone for half the price I do? All I want is a recent-model, basic phone for $50 or so. I'll even sign a new 1-year-contract to get it.
The providers know it's a hassle to switch to a different provider right now -- but the number portability rules are going to make it significantly easier. Thus, competition will be stronger. Thus, everyone gets a better deal.
Here in Hong Kong, the cost of mobile phone service dropped by more than half after the government mandated phone number portability. Before, the service providers behaved like mini monopolies. After number portability, service plans became a commodity and customers changed to the lowest cost provider. This caused fierce competition and price cuts among all the service providers.
Currently I'm paying US$15 per month for 500 minutes, and that includes services like SMS, caller ID, and call forwarding.
Yes, if it will save me $10 to $20 a week,
I can swich from my current cell -phone provider to a new one, and get a free camera phone in the bargin !
( 2 year contract required from AT & T).
Don't forget that every customer who "leaves" a given carrier becomes a new customer of another carrier... carriers should only oppose this if they believe they are not providing high value products and services, or that their customers really dislike them and have to be trapped into maintaining their accounts. A carrier with a good reputation and happy customers should have nothing to fear as the switching cost, even with number portability, is fairly high due to technology issues (might need a new phone) and logistics (people to talk to, accounts to open and close, credit check)...
1. A small phone with solid service in NYC
2. The ability to sync my contacts from MS Outlook with my phone.
3. Minimal ability to display calendar events.
Right now the Motorolla Mx200 looks like a good match, though it's only listed as AT&T, and that may miss my first, and most important, requirement.
...they could always try offering better service and better prices.
Naaah.
honestly, i see many people like myself who are quite unhappy with the lack of service from their wireless carriers will be encouraged to swith to something better. It seems to me you will find the wireless carriers who are making te biggest stink are the ones who know they have a great number of unhappy customers, and with most of them locked into contracts, not to mention the fact that their numbers are gone if they switch right now are not going to switch.
I am a computer consultant, and my business runs from my cell phone, and that is the primary reason i do not switch from the evil Cingular to AT&T. I don't think verizon has a lot to be worried about because they seem to have afairly goo d service, while companies like cingular who have no support, and a billing department that could be replaced with an Altair 8800 will be hearing a giant sucking noise as their customers flee like rats from a sinking ship.
thats just my two cents for what its worth.
As do most wireless carriers that have landline networks. According to the number portability law, you can transfer your land line to your cell phone. Carriers like Verizon have more to loose. Wireless only carriers like Nextel/T-mobile have more to gain from number portability.
I'd like to just change my plan and get a new phone but AT&T thinks they can extend the contract just for increasing my plan. I'm trying to give them more money and apparently that's not good enough. Screw that. I've been a slave to their company for a year, I'll decide if I want to use their service or not.
Since they're being retarded, I'm going to switch companies and make money on the cell phone again through Amazon. Last time I got $100. $80 phone with $180 worth of rebates. If I have to extend my contract I might as well get as much money out of the deal as possible.
My current contract conviently expires in Nov.
Ben
Work Safe Porn
The problem with contracts is when Sprint screws you on your bill and you try to cancel, you can't unless you pay a termination fee to the tune of $300. Also, if you change your service terms during your contract, the contract is reset and you're stuck for another year. My contract with Sprint expires in less than 1 month and I will be switching immediately. I have had more billing/service problems with Sprint than with any other provider of mobile service, ever, bar none.
I will be switching because I need better local coverage. Sprint, although I am pretty happy with the service, has spotty coverage at one of my job sites. The price could be a little cheaper and they don't have the really cool Nokia 3600 and 3300.
I think we are missing the bigger picture. Why was a law passed that requires cell phone companies to let you keep a phone number, but if you move your residence (even if it's less than 5 miles) you will end up getting a different phone number? The law should apply to all types of phone service, not just one kind.
This law does not benefit me b/c I do not own a cell phone. But I did move about 4 miles 2 years ago and had to get a new phone number.
Sure there is cost associated with both systems, and I'm wondering what kind of fees will be associated with keeping the same number while switching plans. Buyer Beware.
I called ATTWS to determine the exact end-date, and what my options are for getting a better deal, since my 500 bonus anytime minutes expired along with the contract. The customer service rep (CSR) was in a big ole tizzy to get me to sign up, and I think I see why... Here's a comparison of the current and available rate plans:
Current.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__Available
$40.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.$40
500 anytime minutes.__.__.__.__.__.__300 anytime
$10 for additional 1000 night/weknd__unlmtd n/w
additional minutes $0.25.__.__.__.__.$0.40
roaming $0.25.__.__.__.__.__.__.__.__$0.69
So I asked her about the night/weekend thing. I've had a phone with them for 5 years & the night/day hours have always been 8pm-8am. The new plan is 9pm-5:59am for night hours. The bastards! Not only that, I discovered that they made this switch sometime around June of last year without telling me. When I switched to their GSM service, they changed the hours with NO notice to me.
So, I asked her what she could tell me about the upcoming number portability deadline. She said they plan to have portability available in November, and I told her thanks, but it doesn't make sense to me then to sign my life over to them for another year given that I'll soon be able to leave for a better deal & take my number with me.
So, I can't express how freeing it feels to have no worries about $175 contract termination fees, but how frustrating it was to go see every other provider offering the same crappy plans. I can't WAIT to see the deals they offer when this one barrier to competition is finally removed.
Now, if the govt would only do something about the mandatory contract terms, outrageous cancellation fees, and phone provider locking. Maybe THEN we'd see some real competition.
These people looked deep into my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined.
Maybe the fact that consumers can not only change companies, but keep the same number will get the cellphone companies to actually pay attention to existing customers. Right now, the whole industry is geared to kissing the butts of potential and new customers. Once you've been with a company for a year or two and your contract is up, trying to get even a small discount on a new phone is nearly impossible with many of them. So, it breeds a situation where people fulfill their contract and move on to get another new phone for free. That's going to happen more as the only reason some people don't do that now is they want to keep their number.
The Glass is Too Big: My Take on Things
This is the way things should have been from the begining when mobile/cell phones first started being sold to the public. Buying a new cell phone should not require you to have to get a new number and go through all the fuss of notifying family, friends and employer(s). I've got too many post-it notes in my wallet from friends/co-workers changing cell numbers. Buy a cell and keep that number for life if you want - that sounds reasonable to me.
I've managed to keep my account by turning a perceived disadvantage into an advantage...
The wonderful advantage agreement... follow me for a second.
Over time, the value of the termination fee diminishes. If you are using a service for three years, it's likely that you'll use it for four. I happen to have a kickass plan that my unnamed provider keeps trying to separate me from.
This particular provider allows you to change features on the condition that you agree to a one year extension. Most blind, rabid, tinfoil hat people would get really angry especially if it involves simply adding Night & Weekends or mobile to mobile minutes.
Well... if your plan rocks, you can keep the party going by adding/removing one stupid feature and then putting it back a few days later.
The providers are probably aware of this Achilles heel and, no doubt, my provider knows what I'm doing and why but the amount of people that can figure this exploit is too small to be worth closing.
Prices are going up, not down. Until they start providing *no contract* service that doesn't suck, I encourage everyone to check out this vulnerability with their provider. $150 is irrelevant after years of paying $120 per month. Screw the system.
Laws are for people with no friends.
Not sure what to do. AT&T is okay, if a little strange with their coverage area. I got great service out on the edge of Cape Cod last weekend but get NO SERVICE 5 miles from my house on the Taconic Parkway! AT&T is a bit pretty expensive too. But, by and large, it works.
I've been told by some Verizon employees I know to stay away from Verizon wireless. Sprint doesn't get much better grades around here either.
I also have the little Nokia phone that will not die (5160). Been dropped, stepped on, and smushed at the bottom of my purse. Had the same battery for years now and it still lives on.
So, we'll probably shop around pricewise when the ability to transfer numbers kicks in, but we may end up sticking with what we have. It ain't broke, so I'm hesitant to fix it right now.
JoAnn
I've seen numerous estimates of churn. Currently, they (whoever they are) expect about 50% of people to switch providers.
Pretty high, huh?
If Sprint should ever read this message: You need to understand that I am not going to pay $80.00/Month for my wireless data card when I can get the same service with T-Mobile for $29.99 - You need to shape up, or pay up, because I won't be the one who is paying. 734-306-1029
This is slightly offtopic, but an interesting thought had ocurred to me: Since it is illegal for telemarketers to call cell phones, what happens when people can transfer their land line phone numbers to cell services?
I googled around for a link on this issue, and found an interesting one.
-R
I am leaving AT&T and going to Verizon. Primarily because AT&T wants to charge me for # portability, but also because AT&T service sucks.
I plan to switch carriers, regardless of number portability.
when I got my phone service was promised that several new cell points were being added in my area to cover the current spotty connection...9 months later and not a single change, it is still 'in the works' which is sales-speak for yeah right, shit in one hand and hold the other one out for a new cell node....
I've kept the service because I have business cards, ads, existing customer contacts and escalation procedures etc, but I know well and good that they aren't gonna upgrade anything...
The INSTANT I can keep my number I am switching, CAN YA HERE ME NOW.....asshat salesmen at Verizon.
To be totally honest I'd like to get a single carrier, one number, both house and mobile, but the odds of getting somthing that simple, logical and obviously good for business here in the US is VERY SLIM....
errr....umm...*whooosh* *whoosh* Is this thing on ?
They aren't geek friendly. They use CDMA and don't have any phones with a bluetooth interface. Also, they switched "myvzw" to a microsoft platform last year. Just try to browse it on a SPARC; They only support IE.
As a business customer, I have my cell phone printed on my business cards for the convience of my clients. This has sort of locked me in to one provider. I do not wish to change my cell phone number and require my customers to try to find me, as this can result in lost business over time. As an illustration of my point, a repair man who left a sticker with his name and cell phone # under my sink lost business from me as he changed his cell phone number and did not leave any me with any other contact info. Too bad, he does great work.
I do wish to have a service agreement with a cell phone provider which is economical, provides the latest technology, and allows me to provide the best level of responsiveness to my customers.
If I only used my cell phone for personal use, I could care less if I had to change my number each time I changed a provider.
Power to the consumer! Hopefully, providers will get off their butts and provide better service now!
I've 100% moving AWAY FROM T-MOBILE when my contract is up... the phones suck balls, every 3 days my phone asks me that I'm in a new time zone, do I want to update.. funny thing is.. I've been in the SAME GOD DANM timezone since I bought the phone. I rarely get the text message that I have new message waiting for me.. usually I get it on the 2nd or 3rd message.. for some reason my phone CALLS me, not a texdt message, but CALLS me when I force a call to voice mail.
If I can keep my number I will wait the extra 2 weeks to move services.. if they delay it, oh well.. new number for me!
"It's not like your minds are as open as the source you love..." - Me to the majority of Slashdot.
Meaty Food for Thought,
% 20Now), broadband services and ENUM services kicking in around 4Q04, consumer VoIP will be very hot in 2005.
Local Number Portability (LNP) is the last major milestone before E.164 NUMbers (ENUM) services kick in. RBOCs (Regional Bell Operating Companies)have been slow rolling ENUM for a number of years but thank God there is competition in the U.S. Expect to see AT&T, Cox Communications and MCI to offer ENUM services by 3Q04 or 4Q04. This will allow E.164 telephone numbers to be used to ring up your broadband VoIP phones. Yes, this allows LNP to be extended across the PSTN into IP networks. ENUM goes even further by enabling you to be reached wherever you are at with just one number by introducing the concept of an Address of Record (AOR). This is really nothing more than DNS NAPTR record technology. Imagine DNS being used for both virtual domains and LNP. For more details, see http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2916.txt and http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3482.txt.
With SIP VoIP hardphones dropping to $65 each (see http://www.sipphone.com/tiki-index.php?page=Order
I would also like to see the Baby Bell monopoly on the TCAP PSAP records for 911 services come to an end. There are much cheaper, flexible and more capable IP based technologies out there that need to replace existing PSAP mechanisms. After all, 9-11 2001 and the Northeast Blackout of 2003 should has taught us something about the PSTN.
Sprint sucks. Their customer service is abominable (until you understand how to "work it"). Their phone selection is poor -- no bluetooth, no Sony Ericsson or Nokia phones. Reception is pretty poor and varies widely depending on which phone you have. They don't have support for true SMS messages.
Still, I've stayed with them. Why? Well, for one thing, I don't want to change my number. Phone number portability may encourage me to look into other providers. Why else? I've been with Sprint for 7 years. I recently called them to complain about the poor reception my phone was getting. After being passed around from person to person in customer service, then in "retention", I finally found someone who (1) gave me a brand new phone that gets good reception, (2) lowered my monthly cost by $10, (3) increased my "anytime" minutes by 50% and (4) changed my night-weekend begin time from 9PM to 8PM.
Bottom line: If I can get AT&T service with the Sony Ericsson t68i and a comparable service plan with the same phone number, I will make the switch.
I've some experience of this procedure, and generally it works seamlessly. Furthermore, it seems to stimulate the market (both for the telcos and the handset vendors), rather than damage it.
It surprises me therefore, that the carriers are fighting this so hard...
It doesn't surprise me... As most companies nowadays, anything that gives the customers any kind of leverage against a supplier giving flat-out bad service(or no service at all) "threatens the very existence of the company."Mostly because most business plans don't include any serious intent to provide "service" just cash in for equipment needs. Have you ever taken notice of how much employee churn there is in a call center?
That's usually because any employee not willing to work overtime for free gets a black mark in their file in such places...
In fact, I wonder if the fact that cell number portability requires training for call center agents isn't the reason the companies object to this so strongly...
Most employees get treated like replaceable drones... And for those who outsource, the first outsourcer that gets trained on any new procedures, can charge more...
I have been an intensely loyal ATT National One Rate customer for 5 years. However in the last 6 months my service in my home area has become so pathetic that with a full strength signal I am unable to make a call 9 times out of 10 because the network is overloaded.
I know the cause: it is their conversion to their new GSM network. The problem is I need nationwide covereage because of how much I travel. Looking at ATT's own maps for coverage on their new network showed there was no way I could ever consider migrating to it. Their standard response to complaints concerning their legacy network, "well sir you will have to change over eventually anyway". EVeryone I know who has go to their new network has left w/in a month for Verizon. These are folks with national, not local needs, and are based in the southwest area of the US.
So to my point: I have already left ATT for Verizon on their America's Choice plan. I am keeping my ATT account active for two reasons 1) have a voice mail telling people my temporary new number and 2) so I can grab my old number and port it to my new verizon account on Nov 24th. Then the few people who know my new number will get another call from me to change back.
Sounds like a lot of work but it is better than calling EVERYONE (creditors, business contacts, etc) with the new number. I basically only told my close friends the new number and they will be easy to tell to go back to the old one. But it saves me calling all my casual contacts.
So LNP is making my life easier, but my reason for switching was completely service related. I would have made the switch even without LNP.
Oh yeah and being that I also move every 3 years to different states I'm used to changing cell numbers so I'm kinda used to it.
If you can't be good, be good at it!
Here in Denmark we've had portability for ~ one year. And to the best of my knowledge it haven't really changed anything drastically. But then it was a real mess to begin with, you could easily wait for several weeks, even months to get it through. Especially the biggest provider, TDC, caught a lot of flak from one of the small service-providers, Telmore, for obstructing the process.
Now it is working though, the transfer taking place in a week or so (correct me if I'm wrong here. Never used it myself).
VPS-like shared hosting, on under-crowded servers.
This would be a major boon for me, and others like me. You see, I provide corporate and personal computer tech support. About 60% of my business is repeat business, and 40% is word-of-mouth referrals.
What's the big deal? All of my business is handled via my cell phone. Any past client who wishes to hire me calls my cell phone, and any new referral is given my cell number. If my number suddenly changes, I would stop receiving the bulk of my service calls and referrals, and I would be very poor.
While it is true, that over time, I would regain my customer base, it is the "meantime" that bothers me. I, like many other people, like to eat regularly you see.
Why is switching my phone such a big deal? Simple, I am with Rogers/AT&T Pay-As-You Go.
Negatives?:
In short: Cell number portability gives me (and everyone else) the power to choose the service that is truly best for me, and not have to worry about sending 150 "My new number is" letters to all my clientele.
Not to mention having to re-print all of your letterheads, invoices, and business cards
Reality is in the mind of the beholder - me 1996
If number portability means that a company will lose customers, that must mean that another company will gain those same customers, so aren't those who are complaining the loudest admitting they have the worst service?
I must say I'm surprised it's taken this long for the US to catch up, we can change networks and keep the number in a matter of days here in the UK - the only downside of this is that you never know which network you're calling, which can be annoying, as calls accros the same network are often cheaper.
I'm in the process of changing networks due to my provider sending me unsolicited text messages, calling me for promotions (despite my number being on TPS) and worst of all, disabling my voice mail without notice for six months. However, if they come back with an apology and a good offer to stay, I may do so, but it's good to have the option of leaving and keeping my number - it's a powerful bargining chip!
Exigo spamos et dona ferentes
Also we've never had any really bad services in Denmark, so the number of disgruntled customers have to be quite limited. From what I can read in the other comments Denmark is Nirvana compared to the US.
VPS-like shared hosting, on under-crowded servers.
"555-1212" is a lame way to find me, compared to, oh say, "Sloppy".
As copyright owner of this comment, I authorize everyone to defeat any technological measure which limits access to it.
Two weeks ago the Washington Post did several articles on this topic, and they put together an interactive Guide to Cell Phone Plans. Admittedly the coverage maps focus on the Washington DC area, but the rest of the information should be good nationwide. Click the 'printable' links for PDFs describing all of the plans offered by each of the carriers.
As for me? I'll be dropping SprintPCS (after 7 years) like a hot potato -- in the last 3 months they've gone from excellent to pitiful for my daily commute, which is where I need the phone the most.
We call it art because we have names for the things we understand.
I'm switching because I'm tired of working at a thankless job, being paid insufficiently, being expected to be available 24 hours a day, and living in constant fear that my job will be sent to Asia.
Oh did you say carriers?
Don't think that a small group of dedicated individuals can't change the world. It's the only thing that ever has.
http://www.cityfido.ca/
They claim to the be the first carrier in North American to do so... as well as an extremely agressive service plan.. $40 cdn for unlimited anytime local minutes.... it was just annoucned for Vancouver a few days ago and actually starts today... and I'm assuming eventually will be for the rest of the country.
We must've spent a total of about 10 hours on the phone with Sprint service over the months. About the only thing that's been keeping us with Sprint is the lack of number portability -- we've been waiting eagerly for the FCC deadline to pass so we could switch to something more useful in our area (like AT&T).
But then, in an unrelated incident, my trusty old phone died (reversed polarity on the charging line, it's a long story). More or less on a whim, I went to the local sprint store and bought a newer Qualcomm phone (my old one was a Qualcomm too), figuring that I could return it when we cancelled the service in a few weeks. But the new phone works much better than the older one!
I'm not sure what the difference between the phones is: either the tech has gotten better or Sprint (and others) are changing the protocol somehow -- but I'm very happy with the service with the newer phone.
That's especially odd, since my wife, my brother-in-law, and I all had different brands of Sprint phone and experienced similar problems -- so it's not just that I had a bum phone, or that a particular brand was affected.
(We live in Boulder, Colorado)
What about area codes? Even with number portability, what will happen when we move to another area? Will they have the right to revoke it then? For example: Hawaii is 808. If i move to DC which is 202 will I be able to keep 808? There will be massive confusion on long distance charges from land lines, who's where, and such. Best Idea would to have area codes which are specifically "mobile area codes."
Even without the nonsense two weeks ago - it's still hardly service.
It didn't work as voicestream, it still doesn't work as cingular.
They do however claim you can't use just any old phone - and it seemed last time that sim cards were particular to a brand of phone, though that's not supposed to be so...
They'll get you to pay the most for anything they can.
This was supposed to be at least as serviceable as POTS, it ain't.
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
After a little bit of industry shakeup, I expect to see it more like traditional phone lines. In fact, I don't think it will take too long for cell phone order forms to change from Select an overpriced plan to looking like this:
- Select options
- Minutes:
- [] Unmetered use ($)
- [] pay-per-use nationwide ($ per minute)
- [] pay-per-use local ($ per minute for local, $ per minute long distance)
- [] n minutes peak, m minutes off-peak ($)
...- Number of phones on plan: ___ ($ for first phone, $ each additional)
- Additional options:
- [] feature 1 ($)
- [] feature 2 ($)
- [] feature 3 ($ per phone)
- [] feature 4 ($ per minute)
...- [] featuren n
- Total: $
- [] 6-month contract (save $$)
- [] 1-year contract (save $$)
Maybe it will take a year or two before that becomes the norm, but it is going to happen. When it does, the companies will need to start competing, rather than just saying "Our network is bigger, join us". I will, and probably a lot of us, will be happier with cell phone service.frob
//TODO: Think of witty sig statement
I plan on switching carriers. My CDMA phone gets lousy service in areas I frequent compared to people I know on GSM/TDMA phones. I am also looking forward to the Handspring Treo 600/GSM. I wish there were NATIONAL or INTERNATIONAL numbers, but at least keeping my number when I switch carriers will make life much easier on me, my friends, and family. I think this is a great thing!
I am in the (probably reasonably unique to this site) position of working, not for a major wireless provider, but for a company that has a contract with them, to do call centers: yes, i work in a call center, but its inbound dammit :p. I am customer care's "resolution desk". I pay a lot of attention at work, and I read a fair bit: LNP has this provider scarred, to the point of offering special deals to certain high value customers in order to lock them into a contract before LNP comes out. LNP is also causing them to relax certain draconian policies, to reduce churn. on a side note, as to older customer getting screwed on a rate plan, right now i can give you dam near anything that a new custoemr can get, with the exception of the ever - asked for "free fone", with a new one year contract. the company is focusing on contracts like mad, so id have to say that LNP has thier worries up.
TheCafFiend
i want to buy something that blocks cell signals in my business. i run a small restaurant and want to make cell signals fail/blocked within the building.
is this legal? where can I buy such equipment?
First, I want to be able to keep my number stable for using in in such things as name & address applications for bills, banking, etc.
:).
Second, how about some sort of wireless base station that I could put in my house and jack in my old phone sets, or something similar that allows me to have multiple sets in my house. That way I don't have the kids knocking on the bathroom door to come get my cell phone which is attached to my belt which is halfway down my legs
--
hecubas
Hecubas
...until I found out the phone companies were going to add another surcharge to my bill. If I understand it correctly, they will charge ALL of us for this, even if we don't use it (please correct me if I'm wrong). Thanks Congress. Thanks phone companies.
Because free or discounted phones are only offered to new customers. I've broken 2 phones (both nokias) and lost another. I don't want to change my cell number, but having to fork out $200 for a new phone every time I destroy one freakin sucks. My current phone is 2 years old and is really lacking in features...I can get a brand new one with twice the features and battery life for free if I switch to someone else.
The temptation to ditch AT&T grows greater with every new offer from competing companies. Maybe if this goes through, they'll offer new or discounted phones on contract renewal dates rather than just for new customers. If not, I'm gone.
This message brought to you by the Council of People Who Are Sick of Seeing More People.
Ha ha! Australia has a functioning government organization which tries to promote (*stifles laughter*) competition! And (*doubles over*) The good of the consumer!
That's so funny. Like the government is there to look out for the consumers instead of the large corporate interests that put it in power in the first place.
Absolutely, I plan to change as soon as the portability is a reality. I'm currently stuck with AT&T Wireless, which has terrible coverage in many parts of my town. As soon as possible, I plan to dump them in favor of Verizon.
Can someone shed some light on a problem I will soon face? Taking your number to a different carrier "is all well and good," but what if I'm moving to another city and I want to take my NY cell # with me? Is this remotely possible or should I just forget it?
Must-not-watch TV!
You are paying 120 bucks a month for your cell service? No crap. You are right, they don't care about the termination fee, because they are anal raping you each month and you love it. Poke your head out of the sand for a few minutes and look around. I've got an older phone, but I get a thousand anytime, unlimited off peak, and free long distance in the 48 states...for 39 bucks...taxes and stupid fees bump it up to 48...but holy crap you must be getting screwed.
Who is this that even the wind and the waves obey Him? Surely this computer must submit also!
So wireless carriers are afraid of loosing customers? Isn't that an admission that their current service is crap? In which case its a good thing that they loose customers, it should make them rethink their pricing/mobiles offered/extras etc. Customer Loyalty needs to be earned not enforced with some draconian contract. Its been working in the UK for years...people don't move as often as they used to but thats mainly because the phones that used to be heavily subsidised or free, are now starting to be priced nearer their actual value.
----- I refuse to have an argument with an unarmed person
Yes, I do plan to switch . I feel that Cingular has better hours for night and weekend (starts at 7 pm vs. 9 pm) and their rollover minutes plans warant the switch!
My local carrier (Cincinnati Bell Wireless) just released a new plan upgrading from 300 anytime and 1000 night and weekend minutes to 1000 anytime and unlimited weekend minutes for the same price ... I don't think they would have done this without the impending number portability.
Is anyone else tired of hearing how the FCC has our best interests at heart and the only reason we can't do everything we want to do with wireless technology is because the telcos would rather make excuses? It's a federal mandate. Whether the wireless companies will lose business or not is beside the point. Big shocking reality check: Wireless has always and will always be HIGHLY competitive. Win some / Lose some. That's the game, and portability doesn't change it much. The fact is that there are some glaring billing and transport issues that can result in new charges to wireless and wireline customers because of the differences in wireless and wireline networks and the amount of government regulation in how each operates. The service offering, itself, WILL DEFINITELY result in new charges to the customer. That method of "cost recovery" is built into the FCC's mandate. If your service provider is offering the service anywhere, they can charge you to cover the cost of implementation, whether you ever port your number or not... But I'm sure everyone already knew that. There are other issues, as well, such as 911 tracking (it won't work for a few hours after you port your number). This bug is known by the FCC and acknowledged, but they insist on enforcing the date, anyway. They opted to send out an approved notice to customers that it won't work for a few hours, so don't be surprised. Maybe these aren't good excuses, but the telcos are still out to make a profit and poor service or unfair charges don't result in high customer retention. I'm not saying that competition isn't a part of the issue, but it isn't THE issue. Don't believe the hype...