Answer Guy Central

What if AT&T, Verizon, and the other traditional “phone companies” no longer had to provide phone service?

It’s a tough predicament.

CLECs (AT&T, Verizon, et.al.) have a bunch of rules they have to follow that were made at a time when they held a different position. And let’s be honest: holding them to a standard that took into account a position they no longer hold really isn’t fair.

On the other hand: there are a significant number of people who still use CLECs in the same way they used them once upon a time, and dinosaur references notwithstanding it really isn’t fair to just cut them off.

On the OTHER other hand: the elimination of analog TV broadcasts was a similar issue when viewed from that last perspective, and the solution was simple: offer a converter box, and even subsidize it.

So maybe the solution is to provide a DSL converter free to anyone who asks for it, thereby dragging them into the digital age without really making them change anything. It would be a simple matter to augment that device with a very cheap router with telephone IP capabilities built in.

Problem solved.

Your business change issues can be solved the same way; all you need to do is think. Or hire someone to think for you.

From July 18 at consumerist.com:

(http://consumerist.com/consumer/wlnp/wireless-number-portability-how-to-keep-your-number-228521.php#viewcomments)

Folks, a couple of thing to keep in mind:

1) SunRocket was not officially a phone company at all. Technically, this means they are not subject to LNP rules (in fact, check your customer agreement w/ them…it says clearly that they *may* allow you to take your number with you, but are not obligated to do so).

Think of this as it applies to eFax or all the free phone # services. The entities that provide those services AREN’T PHONE COMPANIES. As LNP is telecom-specific, “Your” #s belong to them, not to you.

2) LNP is tough to enforce if the company giving up the number isn’t a phone company. Again, in SunRocket’s case, *if* they just turn off the servers there’s no way to reclaim the #s through the LNP system even if SR’s intent had been to allow you to do so. Ever notice the “Local Number Portability” charge on your phone bill (it finally went away a couple of years ago)? There’s a system “out there” that controls this.

The good news on THAT one is that if SR or someone like them acts in a dishonorable way, then eventually *your* # will find its way back into the hands of the telco that they bought the block of numbers they use from. Of course, good luck getting it at that point

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