Court Upholds FCC Rule On Phone Number Transfers

A federal court is supporting regulators' efforts to make it easier for people to switch phone carriers by allowing customers to keep their phone numbers. A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld a Federal Communications Commission rule requiring landline phone companies to allow customers take their phone numbers with them when they switch to a wireless service. The ruling comes as the FCC is poised to shorten the time period it takes to " port" a customer's phone number from one carrier to another. The current standard is four days. A shorter wait time would spur competition in an industry heavily influenced by big incumbents, advocates argue. They say people are reluctant to switch to a competitor phone company if they must wait a week or more to receive calls from their old number. The economic crisis gives new urgency to the issue as more people are considering switching phone carriers or cutting their landline service to save money.