Frequently Asked Questions About
Local Number Portability (LNP)

The Arlington and Blair Telephone Companies have completed implementation of Local Number Portability (LNP) as mandated by Congress and the FCC and, effective September 1, will begin to bill its customers a LNP charge of $0.41 per month. LNP allows consumers to retain their telephone number when changing service providers.

The 1996 Telecommunications Act requires that all local telephone companies and wireless telecommunications companies provide Local Number Portability. Recent FCC rulings authorize the application of a LNP charge on consumers' telephone bills to help offset the significant costs of implementing LNP.

Can I now transfer my Blair or Arlington Telephone Company telephone number to a wireless carrier?
Yes. Blair and Arlington Telephone Company customers can have their current wireline phone number transferred to a wireless carrier as long the company’s switch is located within Omaha’s extended area service (EAS) coverage. Omaha’s EAS covers the majority of the metropolitan area. Please contact your prospective new service provider in regards to the location of their switch.

What happens to my long distance service?
If you port a number from a wireline phone to a wireless phone, your wireline long distance carrier will not move with you.Your long distance carrier will generally be provided by your new wireless carrier.

How long will the porting process take?
A wireline-to-wireless port could take several days. Before porting between wireline and wireless phones, consumers should ask their new service provider how long the process will take.

If I move my existing number from wireline to wireless, are calls to this number still considered to be a “local call”?
Yes. A number dialed as a local call to your wireline will be a local call to your wireless phone, since LNP only allows the transfer of numbers within the same geographic area. Depending on the wireless calling plan you choose, incoming calls may be charged to your wireless service plan as minutes of use.

Can I transfer my wireless phone number to wireline service?
No. Current FCC regulations allow you to transfer service from wireline to wireless if your wireless number is in the same local service area. However, the FCC did not address wireless to wireline portability at this time.

What are the advantages of having wireline phone service?
Wireline services include directory listing options for your home or business, so your phone number is easily accessible. In addition, you can add individual directory listings for employees and /or family members or customize your own listing. Wireline service also provides many additional capabilities that may not be available on wireless service, including: dial-up and DSL high-speed Internet access, or fax machine connections.

If I were to move to another part of the Omaha-metro area, can I transfer my current wireline phone number to my new home or business location?
No. For example, a current HunTel telephone number for a home in Blair could be transferred to a different company serving Blair, but the same number could not serve a location in Omaha.

If not, could this happen in the future?
Possibly. This could happen if the FCC were to require location portability. It is unlikely to occur within the next few years.

Why should I have to pay for local number portability if I don’t want to port my number or I don’t even use a wireless phone?
LNP is a FCC requirement. The equipment and labor required to provide LNP is very expensive. The FCC allows local telephone companies to recover this significant expense from the end users--its customers. This is the only way telephone companies can recover the expense of LNP.

Why is it 41¢ per month?
The 41¢ is the cost for HunTel to recover its expense in providing LNP on a per line basis over five years. At the end of five years, the charge will be removed. Other companies that implement LNP will have different cost amounts and hence a different per line cost.

Will the Nebraska Telephone Assistance Program (NTAP) pay for the LNP charge?
Subscribers enrolled in NTAP are exempt from this charge.

Who do I contact if I have questions about this charge?
If you have questions about this new charge, please contact our customer care center at 426-6200 or stop by the center at 1605 Washington Street in Blair. You can also send us an e-mail at mail@hunteltelephone.com.

What regulatory bodies can I voice my concerns regarding LNP to?
You may contact the Nebraska Public Service Commission at 1-800-526-0017. You can also contact the FCC at 1-888-225-5322.

7/28/04

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