CTIA hosts Critical Issues Forum on WNP

The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA)) is hosting a Critical Issues Forum focused specifically on the impact of the Wireless Number Portability (WNP) mandate on the industry's non-porting carriers. The forum will be held in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, at the Dallas-Fort Worth Marriott-North on January 31 and February 1, 2001. Specifically targeted to carriers outside the top 100 MSAs, this forum will address how these mandated changes will affect non-porting carriers' network interoperability, seamless roaming and financial settlements, and what modifications the non-porting carriers must make to their networks and operations to meet the November 24, 2002 deadline.

The 1996 Telecommunications Act was passed to promote competition. At that time, WNP was considered to be a cornerstone to promoting competition among industry segments. Today, the industry is implementing "Service Provider Portability," meaning that customers can port their telephone to another carrier within a particular "local" calling area. WNP was ordered only for the Top 100 MSAs. The deadline for WNP falls after the wireline date, which is already in effect for wireline carriers in the Top 100 MSAs. However, for the wireless industry, number portability is particularly difficult since CMRS carriers must support nationwide roaming. Unlike the wireline industry, which has the luxury of fixed service, the wireless industry has to perform what is referred to as "flash cut." To ensure that roaming does not break, each wireless carrier must complete and implement a portion of the overall WNP solution to serve customers who have ported their numbers and are roaming on their networks.

During this two-day forum, CTIA will outline the critical steps that smaller carriers must take to protect their operations during this Industry conversion—MIN/MDN separation and establishing a method for connecting with the National Portability Administrator (NPAC). MIN/MDN separation and an understanding of the administrative processes associated with that is critical. The forum will also include technical and regulatory overviews, as well as in-depth presentations on Call Detail Records, Message Processing Systems, and Customer Care Systems. The timeframes, testing mechanisms and other technical and operational issues associated with these conversion activities will also be presented.

This Critical Issues Forum is a non-profit, educational, out-reach initiative supported by CTIA and the Forum sponsors. Registration fees, room rates and Forum location have been chosen to enable participation by the widest range of impacted carriers. The cut-off date for the reserved room rate of $164.00 is January 15, 2001. To make reservations, attendees can call the national Marriott number at 800-228-9290, and reference the "Dallas/Fort Worth Marriott-North" and "CTIA's Wireless Number Portability Forum" or call the hotel directly at 972-929-8800 and ask for reservations.

Visit the WNP Forum web site (www.wow-com.com/convsem/number) for the most up-to-date agenda information.

Source: CTIA
With contributions by Ellen Jensen, Managing Editor