PORTABILITY OF CELL PHONE NUMBERS IS AT RISK

PORTABILITY OF CELL PHONE NUMBERS IS AT RISK
Beginning Nov. 24, providers of cell phone service are supposed to provide portable service. That means that if you decide to change carriers, you get to keep your number. That makes it a lot easier to change carriers.

The carriers don't think that is necessarily a good idea.

Some in Congress agree, and there's a move afoot to derail the change.

Consumers Union is urging people to write to their representatives and senators, and encourage them to leave the rule alone. CU has a form letter on line that you can sign and send. Even better, you can put your feelings into your words, if you like. The form is at:

Consumers Union "Escape Cell Hell" Web site to send e-mail to congress

Oh man... I'm one of the folks that MY carrier should hate, and that the NEW carrier I'm moving to should love. I'm waiting until the portability time to switch. No way I want to lose my number! Thanks for the link. At least I can feel like I'm doing something about it...

Email away! My cell carrier has been holding my number hostage for far too long.

Poor upgrades, poor customer service and other factors have made me want to drop them so many times, but 1 minute spent trying to think of all the people I'll have to notify puts me right back into line to take another helping of "you'll take it and like it".


-Jason

Every new cellular telephone I've gotten also came with a new cell phone number. I always thought it was supposed to work that way. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif :toliet: /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

I'll NEVER change!!!

I have to be in the 1/2% range... of people who are TOTALLY satisfied with their phone and provider!!!

But I respect and WANT the right to be portable... my Dad needs it in the WORST way!!!

[ QUOTE ]
PlayboyJoeShmoe said:
I'll NEVER change!!!

I have to be in the 1/2% range... of people who are TOTALLY satisfied with their phone and provider!!!

But I respect and WANT the right to be portable... my Dad needs it in the WORST way!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I give out my cell number very sparingly; just family, close friends and a few key colleagues so it shouldn't be too bad

Brightnorm

It must be costly for people in business to change numbers. I can understand their desire for portability.

David <><

I had to change cell phone numbers this week even though I'm with the same company in the same town.....

Every couple of years the local "wired" phone company (co-owned by an ex-(corrupt)governor of the State and the wife of a current (at least semi-corrupt) U.S. Senator of the State) decides it doesn't want to serve the cell phone "lines" and starts charging long distance rates for local calls to them.

So the old cell prefixes become obsolete (they still function, but cost your callers a buck and a half a call and they have to punch in the full 11 digits like it was an out of state call), You can stick with the old number and irritate your callers or you can get a new phone number that the cell phone company had to negotiate with them...

Just a few weeks ago I had photo-business cards made... Took me two days to go back and put little stickers with the new number on them, but now they look un-professional...

At least I hadn't ordered business stationery yet.

I Hated Sprint . . . Until I got my new phone!

Discovered that it was NOT SPRINT that I hated, but my phone. I had a very expensive, Motorola timePort, but as expensive as it was, it had ROTTEN reception, ROTTEN clarity, bad battery life, just overall a bad phone.

Now I own a Sanyo 4900, and the difference is like night and day. Great battery life (16 days standby), Crystal clear sound, built in speaker phone, lots of options, great reception.

Yeah, the 4900 is probably the best in the Sprint PCS line-up at fringe-area reception and such, too. Good phone - better than any of the others I've tried in their line at use in difficult areas.

Ditto the Sanyo 4900 being a great phone! Sprint is the best carrier for me in the St. Louis Metro area.

I like the ability of being able to take your number with you when you change carriers. This was suppose to happen years ago. I don't know what the hold up has been.

The Sanyo 4900 is no longer for sale!

Bummer.

Figures, Roy.

The 4900 is the ONLY Sprint phone I've tried that will actually work from where I'm sitting right now, in front of my monitor. All of the others kept dropping out or dropping calls due to the low signal level in my neighborhood.

Tomas...
have you tried the Samsung A500?
Mine is terrific.
The Sprint rep that I spoke to has used both, and switced to the A500. She thought they were both awesome on reception, but liked the new form factor.

David <><

I moved from a Samsung N200 to the Sharp. I liked the 200 better than the 4900 but it didn't have the sensitivity required in my location - nor did any of the other Samsungs I tried (they were my first choice).

Roy,

There IS an upgraded model to the 4900, but I cannot find it right now. It supports PTT.

If you search howardforums.com, wirelessadvisor.com and sprintusers.com, you should be able to find out what it is.

I will find it later, when I am not at work.