Verizon: No Fee For Number Portability

Verizon Wireless announced today that they have no plans to charge a fee to customers for wireless number portability and urged other carriers not to charge a fee as well. A bunch of other carriers are already charging fees to help them pay for implementing wireless number portability (though, there are plenty of claims saying that they're overcharging). The comments are clearly designed to appeal to consumers out there more than actually influence the policies of other carriers. Verizon Wireless Chief Executive Denny Strigl is quoted as saying: "Let's, as an industry, stop moaning and groaning about it. Our government has spoken, our customers tell us they want it. Let's clear the decks and get it done." Of course, what he knows is that Verizon is one of the wireless carriers expected to gain the most from local number portability.