Despite claiming that sky, if not Western Civilization (or their profits) would fall if forced into it, the mobile phone companies have lost their appeal to block an FCC ruling, requiring them to let folks keep their cell phone numbers, even if they change carriers.
See, even though they kept saying there was plenty of competition in the phone industry, they know that if the only thing keeping people from changing carriers is price and performance, there’s going to a flurry of people looking for better deals out there — if they can keep their number, and not have to notify friends, family, business associates, change business cards, change letterhead, rememorize stuff, etc.
In other words, that number? It would be yours for life. Or as long as you wanted it.
What a concept.
The carriers have gotten delay after delay after delay from the FCC, and, when they couldn’t push that agency any further (which is saying something), they appealed to the courts instead.
Where they’ve now lost.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia turned back arguments by Verizon Wireless and the cell-phone industry’s trade group that the rule was unnecessary, arbitrary and capricious.
No, arbitrary is if the FCC rules that all ring-tones must be the same. Capricious is if the FCC decides that only Verizon has to do it. Unnecessary is if the carriers were already planning on doing it on their own.
The judges concluded that the wireless companies had filed their challenge too late, and they dismissed the industry’s contention that the agency had misinterpreted what the law deems “necessary” to protect consumers. The judges said the argument amounted to “dueling over dictionary definitions,” which it called “pointless.”
“The simple truth is that having to change phone numbers presents a barrier to switching carriers, even if not a total barrier, since consumers cannot compare and choose between various service plans and options as efficiently,” the judges said in their opinion.
Here’s at least one case of that.
The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, which filed the challenge, said in a statement it was disappointed with the decision and said the FCC must explain in detail how portability can be accomplished.
“If there is to be number portability in November, the FCC must announce final rules by Labor Day or consumers will find chaos in the market,” CTIA President Tom Wheeler said.
Given that the FCC originally mandated number portability for mobile carriers for 1998, any company that doesn’t know how they’re going to manage it should get sued by their own stockholders.
Verizon Wireless … said it would be forced to divert resources away from network upgrades and other service improvements in order to meet the deadline, and said it might ask Congress to step in.
Go ahead. I dare you. This is an issue that no Congressman in his right mind would try to block.