The Wall Street Journal predicts that Verizon and T-Mobile will be the winners in the portability fight--individuals seeking quality service will go to Verizon, and T-Mobile will be chosen for its low cost. Cingular and Sprint PCS should be the users, most notably because Sprint PCS Sucks.

The next step in placing individuals on par with the cellular industry is to require the companies to disclose their network reliability tests. As the Washington Post reported in November 2001: "The carriers contract with companies such as...LCC International Inc. in McLean -- to find the weakest spots in their networks and to compare their service to the competition's. Most also conduct their own tests.

"Other than customer complaints, the drive tests are the only way Verizon Wireless can check its network, said John Johnson, a spokesman for the country's largest wireless-phone firm, which typically tests 2,000 miles a month in the Washington-Baltimore area. If a call is dropped, or if it fades out, Verizon can reprogram software in the network to make the signal stronger or plan to build another cell tower to increase its coverage, Johnson said."

Now, why isn't this data public? Why do we have to listen to inane PR lies about pindrops and fewer dropped calls when the data exist, and could indicate who really runs the best service?

Rep. Weiner introduced a bill to require disclosure of testing data, but the legislation hasn't moved.

The problem with porting is that receiving your calls will then depend on two wireless carriers. Your old number will have to remain with your old carier, reliably active and programmed with a trigger pointing your incoming calls to your new carrier. Considering how my number with Cingular hasn't even stayed reliably active on my wireless account, I will be skeptical about the value that wireless users will experience in this process. Number porting has resulted in hellish experiences for landline users, including loyal customers whose numbers have been accidentally ported by "fat-fingering", so now the love will be shared with wireless users.

I thought there was some company in the middle that administered portability--isn't it neustar or something similar that will handle the call tables?

There is a third party that administers the database for the records (I think it is started with Lockheed), but it is not part of the telecom network. For network purposes, the switch that originally owned the number must be contacted. Central office codes remain unique for the switch they were assigned for.