Nov 24: Cell phone # portability

How do you jump ship since Cingular owns the # when you are out of the
contract?

Curly wrote:
> How do you jump ship since Cingular owns the # when you are out of the
> contract?

Cingular does not own the telephone number. On November 24th, if this
is your current phone number, and you are not in contract, you may take
that number to another carrier (but not in all markets, only in the top
100 cities). If you do not live in one of the top 100 cities, you
cannot take your number with you until next year (I'm not sure the date
yet).

Telephone companies do not *own* numbers. Part of the reason for number
portability is to reduce the reissuance of phone numbers. If you sign a
one year contract with T-Mobile, then at the end of the year, switch to
AT&T for a year, then go with Verizon, then Sprint PCS, then Cingular,
then Nextel...well in less than 7 years you've had 6 phone numbers!! I
picked up a 407 number early in the year, and the first one I had, I had
collection agencies calling constantly for the person who had the phone.
I politely asked them to stop calling, that this is a new phone number
and if you had any questions please contact Cingular Wireless, but they
claimed I was just covering up for "Pat". Had I been able to take my
number from Verizon Wireless, I would not have had that problem.

AD

In article <20031017203554.23788.00000325@mb-m20.aol.com>,
freestooges@aol.com.aol.com (Curly) wrote:

> How do you jump ship since Cingular owns the # when you are out of the
> contract?

They don't own the number. YOU own the number. You go to a new carrier
and ask them to transfer the number to their service. It'll take a few
hours, no big deal.

In article <3F90DBDD.6090309@REMOVEMEhotmail.com>,
About Dakota <aboutdakota@REMOVEMEhotmail.com> wrote:

> I
> picked up a 407 number early in the year, and the first one I had, I had
> collection agencies calling constantly for the person who had the phone.
> I politely asked them to stop calling, that this is a new phone number
> and if you had any questions please contact Cingular Wireless, but they
> claimed I was just covering up for "Pat".

I'd have screwed with those people 10 ways from Sunday. That would have
been fun.

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 01:21:17 -0500, About Dakota
<aboutdakota@REMOVEMEhotmail.com> wrote:

>Cingular does not own the telephone number. On November 24th, if this
>is your current phone number, and you are not in contract, you may take
>that number to another carrier (but not in all markets, only in the top
>100 cities).

The FCC has ruled that you cannot be prevented from going to another
carrier even if you are on contract or owe charges to another carrier.
If you do not pay your ETF or charges due to the other carrier it's
likely that the other carrier will send your account to collections
and it will probably wreck your credit. You are not heald hostage
however.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To send an email reply send to
GSMthemobilestandard ( yahoo.com

>Cingular does not own the telephone number.

Yes, they do. Read your contract.

They bought and paid for the numbers in blocks of 10,000.

WNP is being forced upon them and they are going to have to give up that which
they paid for.

In fact, if you read your contract they also tell you that they have the right
to change the number at any time with no penalty to them.

If I were a cellular company I would change everyone's number November 1st.
<chuckle> With OTA programming this is a simple task (more or less).

>Telephone companies do not *own* numbers.

Again, you are mistaken. Read the front of your phone book. The phone companies
own the numbers.


--
John S.
e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net

John S. wrote:

>>Cingular does not own the telephone number.
>
>
> Yes, they do. Read your contract.
>
> They bought and paid for the numbers in blocks of 10,000.
>
> WNP is being forced upon them and they are going to have to give up that which
> they paid for.

It's like you paid for a big driveway, and now have to share it with
your neighbour's new RV.

>
> In fact, if you read your contract they also tell you that they have the right
> to change the number at any time with no penalty to them.

And consumers will have an equal right to keep their number with another
carrier.


>
> If I were a cellular company I would change everyone's number November 1st.
> <chuckle> With OTA programming this is a simple task (more or less).
>
>
>>Telephone companies do not *own* numbers.
>
>
> Again, you are mistaken. Read the front of your phone book. The phone companies
> own the numbers.
>
>
> --
> John S.
> e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net


--
jer email reply - I am not a 'ten' ICQ = 35253273
"All that we do is touched with ocean, yet we remain on the shore of
what we know." -- Richard Wilbur

On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 01:21:17 -0500, About Dakota
<aboutdakota@REMOVEMEhotmail.com> wrote:

>
>
>Curly wrote:
>> How do you jump ship since Cingular owns the # when you are out of the
>> contract?
>
>Cingular does not own the telephone number. On November 24th, if this
>is your current phone number, and you are not in contract, you may take
>that number to another carrier (but not in all markets, only in the top
>100 cities).

so if your contract expires after nov 24th and u want to go elsewhere
u get to keep your # and go to a different wireless carrier?


>
>Telephone companies do not *own* numbers. Part of the reason for number
>portability is to reduce the reissuance of phone numbers.

i used to get a lot of calls for some guy who had my same first name
did cingular give me back the minutes used for these stupid calls they
were their fault? nope.


>If you sign a
>one year contract with T-Mobile, then at the end of the year, switch to
>AT&T for a year, then go with Verizon, then Sprint PCS, then Cingular,
>then Nextel...well in less than 7 years you've had 6 phone numbers!! I
>picked up a 407 number early in the year, and the first one I had, I had
>collection agencies calling constantly for the person who had the phone.
> I politely asked them to stop calling, that this is a new phone number
>and if you had any questions please contact Cingular Wireless, but they
>claimed I was just covering up for "Pat". Had I been able to take my
>number from Verizon Wireless, I would not have had that problem.
>

then where does cingular get new #'s from if everyone is taking the
#'s they had and going elsewhere? i don't see how this can be
implemented without cingular and other carriers fighting it in court,
but i agree it should be just like your landline, change companies and
keep your #

found a good article about this, apparently everyone is paying for
cell phone # portability to their wireless carrier while cingular and
others fight against it whooda thunk that?

verizon is the only company in favor of it and is not charging
customers for portability like the others are

http://tinyurl.com/riey

John S. wrote:
>>Cingular does not own the telephone number.
>
>
> Yes, they do. Read your contract.
>
> They bought and paid for the numbers in blocks of 10,000.


So, why wouldn't a phone company purchase *all* numbers in a given area
code?

Steve Vai wrote:
> found a good article about this, apparently everyone is paying for
> cell phone # portability to their wireless carrier while cingular and
> others fight against it whooda thunk that?
>
> verizon is the only company in favor of it and is not charging
> customers for portability like the others are
>
> http://tinyurl.com/riey

Verizon used to be the lead plaintiff against the rule. It has spent
unknown but large sums of money against portability. Only after some
studies that predicted that Verizon Wireless had the most to gain, they
suddenly become the "knight in shining armor".

Verizon may have also changed its view to conserve money. 45% British
owner Vodafone may want out of the deal, and Verizon Communicaitons may
be required to pay Vodafone $10 billion cash. If after that payment,
and Vodafone has any stock left over, and wants to rid itself of the
stock, Verizon Wireless stock may crash down, as Vodafone would probably
want to be rid of then in a hurry.

And in the article he stated, "...that the telephone number belongs to
the carrier, not to the customer."

So, tell me then, why do wireless companies have the luxury of "owning"
telephone numbers, but landline companies do not? I think a better term
is "the number belongs with a company". I highly doubt that cellular
companies can just change your phone number without notifying because
"they own it. They can do it."

WNP is meant not only to increase competition, but also to conserve
numbers. If you switch carriers every year after your contract, in six
years you've had six phone numbers. Wow. With portability, in six
years, you've had one phone number. With the high churn, it helps keep
numbers from reassignmnet.

AD

In article <pmo5pv4451r5didht4uopiqe86894smrmr@4ax.com>,
Steve Vai <****off@you.com> wrote:

> >Cingular does not own the telephone number. On November 24th, if this
> >is your current phone number, and you are not in contract, you may take
> >that number to another carrier (but not in all markets, only in the top
> >100 cities).
>
> so if your contract expires after nov 24th and u want to go elsewhere
> u get to keep your # and go to a different wireless carrier?

Even if your contract doesn't expire, you can keep your number and go
elsewhere.

The mechanics of going elsewhere haven't changed; if you are under
contract and want to break it, you're subject to the terms of the
contract with regard to getting out of it. That's always been, and
always will be.

Only now, when you decide you want to break your contract, you can do so
AND take your number with you to another carrier.

About Dakota wrote:


> Verizon used to be the lead plaintiff against the rule. It has spent
> unknown but large sums of money against portability. Only after some
> studies that predicted that Verizon Wireless had the most to gain, they
> suddenly become the "knight in shining armor".
>
> Verizon may have also changed its view to conserve money. 45% British
> owner Vodafone may want out of the deal, and Verizon Communicaitons may
> be required to pay Vodafone $10 billion cash. If after that payment,
> and Vodafone has any stock left over, and wants to rid itself of the
> stock, Verizon Wireless stock may crash down, as Vodafone would probably
> want to be rid of then in a hurry.
>

There is no Verizon Wireless stock- it is simply a division of Verizon.
Although I wholeheartedly agree that Vodafone pulling out of the
partnership would be catastrophic to the VZW organization.

> And in the article he stated, "...that the telephone number belongs to
> the carrier, not to the customer."
>
>
> WNP is meant not only to increase competition, but also to conserve
> numbers. If you switch carriers every year after your contract, in six
> years you've had six phone numbers. Wow. With portability, in six
> years, you've had one phone number. With the high churn, it helps keep
> numbers from reassignmnet.
>

Actually, the effect on number conservation is only going to be as great as
the number of people that ask for their number to be ported. If you don't
ask, you'll get a brand new number. And if you move out of your 'home'
area, you can't take your number with you.

You will own the number.
And you may take it with you, with a few restrictions.
Like you cant use it outside it normal area. Like moving to a
different area code.
And only the top 100 markets are required, the other areas dont have
to do it until march, I think.



On 18 Oct 2003 00:35:54 GMT, freestooges@aol.com.aol.com (Curly)
wrote:

>How do you jump ship since Cingular owns the # when you are out of the
>contract?

>So, tell me then, why do wireless companies have the luxury of "owning"
>telephone numbers, but landline companies do not?

Read both your wireless contract and your telephone companies phone book (in
the front). They are both careful to point out that they OWN the number and you
have no right to expect that it will continue to be assigned to you.

> I highly doubt that cellular
>companies can just change your phone number without notifying because
>"they own it. They can do it."

The way the rules are (prior to 11/24/2003) they can in fact change your number
without penalty to them. They own it and yes, they can do it.

>WNP is meant not only to increase competition, but also to conserve
>numbers.

Conserve numbers maybe, but certainly NOT increase an already very competitive
market place.

--
John S.
e-mail responses to - john at kiana dot net