UNANIMOUS COMMISSION SLASHES PORTING TIME LIMIT TO A DAY

摘要

The FCC voted 3-0 to reduce to one business day from four the time limit for simple number ports between wireline carriers or between wireline and wireless providers. But the change won't take effect immediately. The commission ordered the North American Numbering Council to complete within three months a study of porting procedures. The FCC also delayed the change for nine additional months for most carriers after the council completes its work. Small carriers get 15 months to comply. The commission also adopted a rulemaking notice asking about other ways it can further improve the interval, including whether it should apply the new shot clock to more than simple ports. nnStill to be seen, industry officials said, is whether faster ports will hasten line losses by local exchange carriers. The order grew out of discussions among the commissioners over the past two weeks, an FCC official said. The original draft from the Wireline Bureau proposed a 48-hour time limit, which became two business days in a draft circulated by acting Chairman Michael Copps. That could have meant that a change made late on a Friday wouldn't take effect until the following Tuesday. Commissioners questioned whether the change couldn't be done more quickly, especially with a long history of faster ports in the wireless industry. Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein's office was the first to formally propose a one-day port.