Local Number Portability's Impact Overstated

CEDAR KNOLLS, NJ — The cost and inconvenience of switching wireless providers is underestimated amid the hype surrounding local number portability (LNP). LNP will shift market share between service providers, but it will take a long time.

"Consumers are faced with several issues when switching service providers," comments Allan Tumolillo, COO of Probe Financial Associates, an independent financial analyst firm. "Many consumers are under contract to their wireless carrier, and face a penalty if they leave. Additionally, if the wireless service is part of a larger bundle, the subscriber must decide if they want to break up the bundle, and if so, how to replace the other services in the bundle."

In the mix of cost and service considerations LNP is a factor, but it is only one factor. When LNP was first conceived, 10 years ago, most people had one phone number. "Today, multiple identies are the norm, " concludes Tumolillo. "People have multiple numbers, email addresses and instant messenger identities." In today's environment LNP is more of a convenience than a necessity, as the market will demonstrate.

PFA's new report, "LNP - Overhyped!" examines the impact of Local Number Portability on wireless service providers.
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To obtain more information on Probe Financial Associates and its products, contact Karen Verrinder or visit PFA on the web at www.probefin.com .


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