Entente between Canadian Cell Phone Companies to Allow Number Portability

On April 21, 2005, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association (CWTA) announced that its membership (which includes all major Canadian cell phone suppliers) will act upon a federal government budget directive, and create an implementation plan by September 1, 2005, setting a timeline for full telephone number portability. Portability will include exchange of numbers between cell phone carriers and from landline carriers to cell phone carriers. The federal budget announced an intention to call upon the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) "to move expeditiously to implement wireless number portability". Current CRTC policy only requires that local numbers be portable from the incumbent carrier to Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLEC), and the 2004-2007 Workplan envisions some form of additional regulation for wireless portability this fiscal year. This is the second time this month that corporate strategy has pre-empted imminent CRTC regulation (see "Canadian VoIP Provider Announces Service in Uncertain Regulatory Climate" in an earlier issue of E-TIPSâ„¢, Vol 3 No 21, April 13, 2005). For the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association press release, see: http://www.cwta.ca/CWTASite/english/whatsnew_download/apr21_05.html For the CBC.ca news article "Cellphone firms to offer number portability, see: http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y6A9126FA For the Government of Canada 2005 Budget Directive, see: http://www.fin.gc.ca/budget05/bp/bpc4ee.htm For the CRTC 2004-2007 Workplan, see: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/BACKGRND/plan2004.htm Summary by: Nicholas J. Whalen