Archived from groups: alt.cellular.fido (More info?)
from the Rogers financial report:
The Implementation of Wireless Number Portability in Canada Could Create
Significant Costs for us and Increase Churn Over the past several years,
certain countries in Europe and Asia have mandated wireless number
portability (“WNP”). In 2004, the U.S. wireless industry also
implemented WNP. WNP involves porting wireless phone numbers to other
wireless companies, but can also involve porting phone numbers between
wireline and wireless companies. The implementation of WNP systems and
capabilities imposes significant costs on the carriers in a country. The
CRTC recently stated that it intends to review the matter in its
2005/2006 planning period (April 1, 2005 to March 31, 2006). The federal
budget was released on February 23, 2005. In the budget speech, the
government stated that it would request the CRTC to move expeditiously
to implement WNP. In a letter dated March 18, 2005 to the CRTC, the
Minister of Industry noted that WNP was already on the CRTC’s 2005-6
work program and stated that he was therefore confident that the CRTC
would deal with this matter in an expeditious manner. The letter noted
that the government understands that WNP includes wireless-to-wireless,
wireline-to-wireless and wireless-to-wireline number portability. If WNP
were to be mandated, this would require carriers, including Wireless, to
incur implementation costs that could be significant and could cause an
increase in churn among Canadian wireless carriers.
On April 21, 2005, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association
(CWTA) announced that Canada’s wireless carriers, including Rogers
Wireless, agreed to implement number portability in Canada, and have
begun the planning efforts required to achieve this result.
Number portability will enable Canada’s wireless customers to keep the
same phone number when changing service providers within the same local
serving area. Consistent with the Government of Canada’s definition of
wireless number portability, customers will also be able to keep the
same phone number when transferring their landline phone service to
wireless service and vice versa.
The CWTA will contract an independent consultant to complete a
comprehensive project plan outlining specific milestones for this
process. It is expected that the plan will be completed by September 1,
2005. Upon arrival of the plan and agreement on a common start date, it
is the intention of the CWTA and the wireless carriers to begin the
implementation of the plan. A firm date on the implementation is not
known at this time pending the development of the project plan.
