Virgin Mobile says viable solutions to enable speedier WNP available in the market

Virgin Mobile Canada, the country’s rebel wireless company, is telling the CRTC that there are viable commercially available solutions that can be used to enable wireless number portability (WNP) sooner than September 2007. That is the date being proposed by the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association based on recommendations by Pricewaterhouse-Coopers (PwC). Moreover, Virgin Mobile states, "WNP implementation must be accelerated and completed within 12 months."The company supports some aspects of the PwC report, but notes that its "eight strategic planning principles...will not effectively assist in building a fast, efficient and practical business process which promotes competition and best serves the interests of consumers." Virgin Mobile suggests the deployment of WNP in Canada could be streamlined given the experiences in the United States and in other jurisdictions. "While various industry modifications will need to occur, the protocols have, to a large extent, already been established, and can be readily adopted to meet Canadian requirements," writes the company in its comments to the CRTC. "Early implementation and competition should be emphasized over a standard of perfection suggested by the PwC report." Virgin Mobile questions not only the implementation timeframe, but also the costing. It concludes that use of the number portability centre service management system (NPAC SMS) could bring about WNP sooner and more efficiently. The company suggests that a clearinghouse or service bureau model could also be used. "A reliable service bureau model can keep costs in check and eliminate the need to make large capital investments in expensive new systems as well as minimize operational expenses. This approach replaces the cost and complexities of maintaining directing connections to multiple NPAC (number portability centre) regions and multiple trading partners and instead, puts in place a single connection between the operator and the service bureau," Virgin Mobile writes in its submission. The company singles out Syniverse Technologies – a provider of technology interoperability, network services, number portability systems and more – as an operation that has the technology required for deployment in Canada. According to Syniverse, the service bureau model can reduce capital costs and minimize operating costs, simplify implementation and operations, reduce cost in connecting new porting partners, simplify reporting and administration, and offer 24x7 customer service, hot lines and network monitoring. Virgin Mobile suggests Canada should leverage the particularly instructive American experience when it comes to network elements and call mediation software, for example. The company says this software can be purchased and implemented by the Canadian Local NP Consortium (CLNPC). As an example, the wireless cell phone provider notes that supporting databases for data modification and storage don’t have to be built from scratch. "A workable solution could involve incorporating existing LNP infrastructure and databases as well as the CLNPC. In particular, Canadian WNP should maximize the use of the existing wireline NP system, which comprises the NeuStar NPAC SMS," reads Virgin Mobile’s comments to the CRTC. The company concludes, "If fixed as a key priority by the CRTC, the Canadian government and industry, and with effective project management in place, Canada’s wireless providers can successfully introduce consumers to the benefits of WNP by the fall of 2006."

Virgin Mobile says viable solutions to enable speedier WNP available in the market

News | 10/18/2005 4:00 am EDT

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