Mobile Competency, an independent analyst firm has released a ranking report of carrier readiness for the implementation of mobile number portability in the USA. The report finds that CIOs and IT managers should avoid wireless number portability (WNP) until at least spring 2004 because as the study has found, the industry is clearly not ready to meet the demand.
The report cautions enterprise users considering changing carriers as soon as WNP takes effect on November 24 not to port until the end of Q1 2004. Mobile Competency found that while Nextel, Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless are currently the best prepared to ensure that enterprise customers can port with little or no service disruption, they are still appear only 50% ready for WNP. The report warns CIOs that it takes two well-prepared carriers to make a successful port, and so far, only a handful of carriers are anywhere near ready.
"If ports fail en masse, don't be surprised when the wireless industry blames the FCC for both moving the deadline to the worst possible time of the year and failing to craft rules that address every possible scenario," said Bob Egan, president and founder of Mobile Competency. "There's plenty of blame to go around, but at the end of the day, that's cold comfort for enterprise subscribers whose mobile phone stops working."
Mobile Competency interviewed the six largest U.S. carriers to assess their ability to provide enterprise customers with quick, glitch-free ports and a smooth transition of key services, such as wireless data. According to their findings, one month before the WNP deadline, no major carrier had completed testing with all five of its largest rivals. Although most major carriers have created WNP FAQs and "tip sheets" for consumers considering porting, only Nextel and Sprint PCS provide guidelines that specifically address enterprise issues and concerns.
"Carriers are finally getting serious about WNP," continued Egan. "But we don't see any evidence that individual carriers, let alone the industry as a whole, have done the extensive testing necessary to ferret out the major problems before November 24. It's too little, too late, so enterprise customers should wait."
Egan added, "CIOs are well advised to ignore carriers' chest-beating and instead demand firm answers to these questions. Better yet, get them in writing. Refusal means that their lawyers told them to guarantee nothing."
Posted to the site on 4th November 2003
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/10041.php