STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWSKI Re: Local Number Portability Porting Interval and Validation Requirements, WC Docket No. 07-244, Telephone Number Portability, CC Docket No. 09-116 The Commission is taking an important step to ensure that consumers can quickly and easily switch their telephone service providers if they want. The Commission today completes the process of requiring carriers to transfer customers’ telephone numbers to their new service provider in a single business day. This Order demonstrates that smart government action can promote competition and benefit consumers. While this Order provides many of the technical details that carriers need to port telephone numbers in a streamlined manner, it is first and foremost about consumers. Though few Americans may care whether their phone company has to provide arcane information such as the “Purchase Order Number” or the “Requisition Type and Status,” we all understand what it means if our request to switch to a new service provider is held up for multiple days. Thanks to today’s decision, that won’t happen any more. This Order also is about competition. Consumers want carriers to compete on service quality and price. Consumers want phone companies to retain them as customers because they provide an excellent service, not because it’s too difficult to switch service providers. I am pleased that the item reflects a good amount of consensus. While there was not complete agreement among industry, many service providers agreed on a majority of the information fields that are necessary to ensure seamless transitions from one carrier to another. I appreciate the industry’s active participation in the proceeding and believe the Order benefits greatly from companies’ hands-on experience. It shows what can happen when stakeholders roll up their sleeves and work with the Commission on important goals. I thank Commissioner Copps for his work as Acting Chairman last May in beginning this process, and the staff for their hard work in carrying it out. While the average consumer may not spend much time on the details, I appreciate that staff do.