Telecommunications Resellers Association Urges FCC to Deny CTIA's Request for Delay in Wireless Number Portability
PR Newswire - February 25, 1998 11:22
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WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- The Telecommunications Resellers
Association (TRA), in comments filed yesterday, urged the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) to reject a petition filed by the Cellular
Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), in which CTIA requested a five
year delay in implementing wireless number portability. Arguing that number
portability -- the ability to change carriers without changing telephone
numbers -- is crucial to the development of a competitive wireless market.
TRA asserted that the CTIA petition meets none of the legal standards required
for the five year exemption.
Under the FCC's rules, wireless carriers are required to have number
portability in place by July, 1999. CTIA wants to push back that deadline by
five years, claiming that the carriers "finite resources" could be put to
better use in building out their networks.
In its comments, TRA outlined primary reasons why CTIA's petition should
be denied. First, number portability is needed to advance competition within
the wireless marketplace, as well as competition between wireless and wireline
services. Such competition, in turn, is necessary to insure that
telecommunications rates, terms and conditions are reasonable and
nondiscriminatory.
"Number portability enables consumers to switch easily between wireless
facilities-based carriers and, importantly, between wireless carriers and
resellers," stated David Gusky, TRA's Vice President and Director of Wireless
Services. "This ease of switching forces carriers to reduce rates and improve
service offerings in order to attract and retain customers."
Secondly, the FCC has already determined that number portability is
critical to protection of the "fundamental rights" of consumers, and for
insuring that consumers receive the full benefits of competition.
Third, the public interest in promoting wireless competition, and in
insuring the timely development of a national number portability system, far
outweigh the CTIA's concerns that implementing number portability would cost
them too much money.
"CTIA itself reports that the U.S. cellular, PCS and ESMR industries
generated $25.6 billion in revenues last year," Gusky continued. "Annual
revenues grew by 19 percent from 1996 to 1997 and by almost 300 percent since
1992. The evidence simply does not support the claim that the industry lacks
the resources to support number portability. In addition, there is no
guarantee that any money saved by delaying number portability would be used
for network buildout, as CTIA claims, rather than increased company profits."
Both the FCC and the Congress have previously determined that number
portability would benefit consumers by promoting increased competition in
wireless services. The FCC even lists the right to change carriers without
changing numbers in its "Consumer Bill of Rights for Telecom Competition."
"Common sense dictates that number portability is in consumers' best
interests. To delay full implementation of wireless number portability for
another five years would serve only to delay true competition and to deny
consumers the many benefits of such competition -- lower prices, greater
choice and more, improved services," Gusky added.
Founded in 1992, the Telecommunications Resellers Association (TRA) is the
Washington, D.C.-based organization for resellers of telecommunications
services, representing over 650 companies involved in the resale of domestic
and international long distance, local, wireless and other enhanced
telecommunications services. Resellers typically make volume purchases of
network services from facilities-based carriers and, in turn, offer their
subscribers discounts and value-added services, including customized billing,
personalized customer service and consultation.
TRA was created, and carries a continuing mandate, to foster and promote
telecommunications resale, to support the telecommunications industry, and to
protect and further the interests of entities engaged in the resale of
telecommunications services.
SOURCE Telecommunications Resellers Association
/CONTACT: Susannah G. Stoll, Communications Director of the
Telecommunications Resellers Association, 202-835-9898/ |
