CENTURYTEL FINED $100,000 FOR PORTING VIOLATIONS
The FCC handed down a $100,000 notice of apparent liability of forfeiture against CenturyTel Thurs. for “willfully and repeatedly” failing to route calls to ported numbers Nov. 24, 2003-April 14. Wireless carriers highlighted the order as a sign that the FCC was getting tough on wireline carriers that don’t follow the Commission’s local number portability (LNP) rules. The fine was mentioned prominently in a CTIA phone call Thurs. on wireless LNP.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Communications Daily is required reading for senior executives at top telecom corporations, law firms, lobbying organizations, associations and government agencies (including the FCC). Join them today!
“Regardless of the status of a carrier’s obligation to provide number portability, all carriers have the duty to route calls to ported numbers,” the FCC said in the order: “In other words, carriers must ensure that their call routing procedures do not result in dropped calls to ported numbers.” CenturyTel’s violations involved customers in Washington, the FCC said.
Meanwhile, porting requests are being handled increasingly smoothly and complaints have decreased in the months since LNP began Nov. 24, 2003, in the 100 largest markets, top FCC staff reported Thurs. FCC said there have been more than 2 million ports.
With nationwide porting to start May 24, FCC officials said the Commission is prepared to answer questions and work with carriers to make the deadline as seamless as possible. “Although we believe that most carriers are working hard for wireless porting we have received reports indicating that some carriers have not even begun testing or exchanged contact information with other carriers,” said Wireless Bureau Chief John Muleta: “Today, the bureau is issuing a public notice to remind carriers outside of the top 100 markets of their obligations.”
“The good news is wireless local number portability has become a reality,” Comr. Abernathy said: “It yielded tremendous consumer benefits as a result of increased competition and greater creativity when it comes to customer friendly pricing and attractive packages and that’s exactly what we wanted to see.”
The Commission said porting requests continue to increase, with 613,000 ports requested last month between wireless carriers and 49,000 requests between wireline and wireless operators. Wireline Bureau Chief William Maher said the Commission would soon seek comments on proposals by the N. America Numbering Council regarding the intermodal porting interval. FCC officials also said churn has been lower than some carriers expected last year.