GTA upgrades network to support wireless number porting in Guam

TAMUNING, Guam—Guam Telephone Authority, the incumbent local exchange carrier arm of TeleGuam Holdings, has successfully upgraded its network to support wireless number porting for its wireless operations as well as for other unaffiliated cellular carriers on Guam.

The Federal Communications Commission granted GTA’s petition to extend the deadline to Dec. 15, 2005, in order to ensure its network is equipped, tested and has the system capability to meet local number portability requirements. GTA completed the upgrade in September 2005.

According to David Duenas, GTA’s managing director of Inside Plant and Operations, the most significant development achieved in upgrading GTA’s network is that the company now possesses its own “signal transfer points” in Guam to support wireless LNP for GTA’s own wireless subsidiary company as well as those of other carriers.

“Previously, telecommunications companies on Guam, including GTA, had to rely on STPs from other service providers. With our own STPs, we can support a variety of network services besides LNP, including toll-free database; calling name database services and line information data bases, which contain subscriber information such as service profile, 10-digit line numbers, service provider ID and billing. All of these data can used to give telephone service providers better information about end-users such as whether to block certain calls or allow collect calls,” explained Duenas.

As soon as most of the island’s other wireless carrier companies complete their own network upgrades, equipment installation and field tests by Feb. 15, 2006, wireless phone users in Guam will join their counterparts in major markets in the mainland U.S. in having the advantage and convenience of keeping their same cell phone number even if they switch wireless service providers.

Since November 2003, wireless carriers in the 100 largest markets in the U.S. were required by the FCC to begin porting numbers. Outside of these biggest 100 markets, the FCC rules went into effect on May 24, 2004 or six months after a carrier receives its first request to port, whichever is later.

Wireless LNP gives cell phone customers greater freedom and flexibility to choose the carrier that best meets their needs without having to notify friends, family and co-workers that they have a new number. According to the FCC, one of its key goals in making LNP available is to promote healthy competition among and within the telecommunications industry so that consumers receive better service, lower prices and innovation.

GTA Wireless and other carriers will charge customers for number portability when wireless LNP is fully implemented in Guam in early 2006. In the case of GTA Wireless, the charge will be fifty cents a month. The fee is for system recovery costs associated with new equipment and program software to provide LNP.

TeleGuam Holdings, LLC, in partnership with Shamrock Holdings and General Electric, purchased the assets of GTA on Jan. 2, 2005. For more information, visit www.gta.net. (PR)