LNP - Curse...or...business opportunity for carriers?

I'll never forget the day I was driving for the airport when I got a call from our regulatory group "we are planning on supporting Verizon with their objection to LNP...that OK with you?"

"NO...IT'S NOT OK WITH ME" said I

LNP, Local Number Portability, is of course the ability to take your number with you. that is, the carrier cannot (like your email address, for example) hold you hostage to your phone number. What's the big deal, you say, people change numbers all the time. Yea...sure they do....it's so much fun and so convenient...especially when you are a business! NOT. this is an opportunity to keep the identiy you may have had for years and allow people to still contact you. It is particularly important for business. Sure, it will increase churn...but for whom? Carriers that satisfy their customers? No. According to a recent report, for these folks:

About one-third of wireless subscribers – around 50 million – are likely to switch carriers once the FCC-mandated wireless local number portability takes effect on Nov. 24, according to a study released today by billing and customer care vendor Convergys

Well, the epliogue is that my old company embraced the idea of LNP, then verizon (strigl) did too. The storm is coming near the holiday season to a happy carrier near you!