Telephone Number Portability

The First Memorandum Opinion and Order on Reconsideration, (Order) released March 11, 1997, affirms and clarifies the Commission's rules implementing section 251(b)(2) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, which requires all LECs to offer long-term number portability in accordance with requirements prescribed by the Commission in the First Report and Order, 61 FR 38605 (July 25, 1996). The First Report & Order also requires all LECs to implement long-term number portability in the 100 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) according to a five-phase deployment schedule that commences October 1, 1997, and concludes December 31, 1998. The Commission herein concludes, first, that Query on Release (QOR) is not an acceptable long-term number portability method. Second, the Commission extends the completion deadlines in the implementation schedule for wireline carriers by three months for Phase I and by 45 days for Phase II, clarifies the requirements imposed thereunder, concludes that LECs need only provide number portability within the 100 largest MSAs in switches for which another carrier has made a specific request for portability, and addresses issues raised by rural LECs and certain other parties. Finally, the Commission affirms and clarifies its implementation schedule for wireless carriers.