Number portability is coming to Canada

I've been waiting for wireless number portability to come to Canada. It's something that consumers in the US have had for awhile, but in Canada, the CRTC had to force it on the wireless carriers, like Bell and Rogers and Telus.

Well, I knew it was coming, but it turns out it's going to happen in a couple of weeks! You'd never know it. I haven't seen a news story or any promotion at all - until I saw this post from Mark Evans.

For the record, all this is supposed to happen on March 14. Here's the relevant section from the CRTC posting on their website:

By March 14, 2007 Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless and the mobility division of TELUS Communications Inc. will be required to provide WNP to their customers in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Québec. This means that customers in any of these provinces will be able to switch to any service provider in that province (wireline or wireless) and keep their phone number.

Throughout Canada, all wireless carriers will, by the same date, be required to release a phone number to another carrier (port-out customers) and by no later than September 12, 2007, to accept a phone number from another carrier (port-in customers).

So, I guess it's going to happen. I like that, because it should mean that you will be able to switch companies without having to give up your phone number. For those of us that live in areas poorly served by one company, this should prove a real blessing.

And I'm hoping it means I'll also be able to assign my current phone number to my new IPhone, when it finally appears in Canada later this year. Whoo-hoo!

Technorati Tag: NumberPortability