FCC: It should only take a day to change your phone number

The Federal Communications Commission will soon give voice communication service providers (wireline, wireless, and VoIP) only a single day to transfer a subscriber's number when they change carriers, instead of the previous four-day requirement.

"Delays in number porting cost consumers money and impede their ability to choose providers based solely on price, quality and service," the commission's statement yesterday said.

Following input from the North American Numbering Council (NANC), an advisory board made up of telcos, cable companies, consumer advocates and industry groups, major service providers will have nine months to comply with the FCC's order. Smaller carriers will be allowed fifteen months before they must implement the 24-hour portability rule.

More than ten years ago, the FCC and NANC imposed the Local Number Portability regulatiion (last update: 12 FCC Rcd 7236, text file available here) which granted users the right to retain their phone number irrespective of the carrier they chose.