There are nervous wireless executives walking through the halls of the nation's cellphone providers this week.
The muted conversations and worried frowns are thanks to what could amount to a sizeable headache for the likes of Bell, Rogers and Telus. They even have an acronym for it -- WNP (as in wireless number portability).
- Do you plan on switching? Take our poll question — it's on the Globetechnology main page
Tomorrow, cellphone users in parts of the country will be able to transfer their current phone numbers from one provider to another. In other words, one of the major stumbling blocks of switching providers will be removed and you will be able to keep the phone number you've handed out to 1,000 different people over the years.
And no, this has nothing to do with communication giants wanting to give you more choice in a competitive market. Two years ago the federal government asked the agency that regulates the wireless industry to make it happen.
So how are wireless companies responding to Wednesday's deadline? What are the ins and outs of switching carriers and are there deals out there to entice you?
Join the Conversation with telecom reporter Catherine McLean, who is online right now for an hour to take your questions.
Ms. McLean, in a two-part report in this week's Report on Business, ( Part 1 and Part 2 ) looks at many of the issue revolving around number portabilty and what impact it might have on the industry and on consumers.
Editor's Note: globeandmail.com editors will read and allow or reject each question. Questions may be edited for length, clarity or relevance. HTML is not allowed. We will not publish questions that include personal attacks on participants in these discussions, that make false or unsubstantiated allegations, that purport to quote people or reports where the purported quote or fact cannot be easily verified, or questions that include vulgar language or libellous statements. Preference will be given to readers who submit questions/comments using their full name and home town, rather than a pseudonym.
Michael Snider, Technology Editor: Hi Catherine, thanks for being with us today. I know our window is pretty small today, so lets get started.
Call me a cynic, but I suspect number portability will have little immediate impact on the market -- for consumers and providers. It seems as though taking your number with out is but one component in a more consumer-friendly cellphone utopia where communicating by mobile is as cheap as email. Subscribers must see out their current contracts (or pay for the contract's duration), buy a new phone, sign a new one, two or three-year deal and then deal with a provider that, for all intents and purposes, is little different from the one they just left.
I wonder if cell providers are really going to feel a pinch and if consumer are really going to be better off.
Catherine McLean: Hey everyone. Thanks for joining me. From all the feedback I receive with every cellphone story, I expect you will have lots to say about portable wireless numbers. This is a big change for the industry since consumers will finally be able to take their number and run, something wireless customers in many other countries have been able to do for years. But as Michael mentioned, a lot of Canadian consumers are locked into a long-term contract so they will likely decide to wait until it expires before moving carriers.
As for complaints about a lack of choice among the different cellphone carriers, we may see new entrants in the wireless market in coming years as the government recently announced it will hold an auction process for new spectrum in early 2008.
