Sprint PCS asked FCC Mon. to make decision on local number portab...

year submitted petition for forbearance from LNP requirements under FCC rules that require commercial mobile radio service (CMRS) carriers to support service provider LNP in top 100 metro areas by Nov. 24, 2002. Verizon Wireless didn’t seek forbearance from separate requirement that CMRS carriers participate in thousands-block number pooling by Nov. 24, 2002. It said forbearance was appropriate because LNP requirements imposed complex technical burden, and expense wasn’t justified by economic benefits. Sprint PCS said start date for LNP poses “timing problem” because carriers must sign vendor contracts and increase technical resources for implementation 10 months before deadline. “Sprint PCS submits that the public interest is not served by the industry’s expenditure of sizable capital and systems modifications in pursuit of the LNP mandate in advance of Commission action on the pending LNP forbearance petition,” carrier said. FCC decision by year-end could save nearly $21 million in design, construction, testing and implementation costs, Sprint PCS said. “Inasmuch as Sprint PCS serves approximately 10% of all mobile customers, the resource savings from an early decision on the pending LNP forbearance petition would be sizable,” carrier said. Figure doesn’t represent all LNP costs or expenditures for other wireless carriers, Sprint said. LNP issues are among regulatory requirements that carriers must meet, including Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) deadlines and Enhanced 911, carrier said. “CMRS carriers are facing a significant strain on technical resources,” Sprint said. If Dec. 31 decision date isn’t practical, company said FCC had alternatives, including suspending LNP implementation deadline for one year after it enters order on forbearance request, without altering pooling start date. “Practical” timing problem carriers now face is that FCC must act on Verizon forbearance petition by Aug. 2, 2002, less than 4 months before implementation deadline, Sprint PCS said. “It is time for the Commission to establish priorities,” it said: “Phase II E911 service is important. TTY capabilities are important. Implementing number pooling is important. The sooner the Commission removes the LNP regulatory mandate, the sooner industry can better focus its resources.”