Cell phone Q&A

	New Phone Rules Cell phone users, do the new phone number rules matter to you? Yes. I want one number, at home and mobile No. I want to keep my home and cell numbers separate I don't know. This is all too confusing
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Questions and answers for consumers about changes in telecommunications rules:

What happens Nov. 24?

On that day, according to Federal Communications Commission regulations, cell phone customers in the 100 most populous metropolitan areas will be able to keep their numbers if they switch to a competing wireless server that serves the same local area. The list of areas covered is available at www.census.gov/population/cen2000/phc-t3/tab03.pdf.) In addition, customers of local phone companies will be able to drop their home or business landline phones and transfer their numbers to cell phones. In some cases, cell customers will be able to transfer their number to conventional handsets.

How do you transfer a number?

Customers should contact the carrier to which they want to switch. They should have their phone number, billing address, account number and latest bill. Only the person whose name is on the account can authorize the change. Consumers should not cancel service before they make the switch, or else they will lose their phone numbers.

How quickly must a company switch the number?

Landline companies have four days to transfer a number, though the FCC says it is studying whether to speed up the process. For wireless-to-wireless transfers, the FCC says the goal is to transfer a single number within 21/2 hours after the new carrier calls the old provider. It could take days for multiple lines to be switched.

What will it cost?

The FCC says carriers can charge their customers for switching the number, though a new carrier could agree to pay the transfer fee the way long distance companies often pay the cost of changing service as a way to entice customers. Some cell carriers already have tacked a fee on monthly bills to cover the costs of installing the equipment to enable numbers to be transferred. These fees range from a few cents to more than $1. The FCC does not regulate the amount of the charges but requires them to be "just and reasonable."

Consumers who have contracts with their current cell providers will have to pay early termination fees, which can reach $200, if they switch before their agreements expire.

And most customers will have to buy a new cell phone when they change providers, because companies use different technologies.

What still needs to be resolved?

The FCC says it is looking at how to broaden the territories where cell phone customers can transfer their numbers to landlines. Right now, those areas are limited because of technology and state regulations.

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