February 2003
The ATS Network & Billing Update is published by Advanced Technologies & Services, Inc. (www.atso.com), a revenue and service assurance solutions provider. This free newsletter is an electronic monthly guide to telecommunications OSS, billing, and revenue assurance news and analysis, and is distributed by subscription only. To subscribe, click on the "Sign Up" link at left. To unsubscribe, contribute an article, or for comic relief, please scroll to the end. Feel free to forward this newsletter!
In This Issue:
- Editor's Note
- Timing, Outcome of FCC Vote on UNEs Uncertain
- Consumer Reports Survey Highlights Customer Churn Issues
- Wireless Industry Challenges Number Portability Mandate
- OBF Works on Intercarrier Billing Issues Between Wireless and Wireline Carriers
The Internet worm attack on computers systems using Microsoft software launched last weekend did more damage than experts previously thought. In addition to affecting ATM machines, the attack disrupted service at a 911 dispatch center, and at a variety of Web sites, including at least two Fortune 500 companies. Even computer systems at Microsoft itself were affected by the attack.
In a similar way to the surprise of even the experts on the vulnerability of systems tied to the Internet, many service providers are surprised at the level of revenue leakage they uncover when they get serious about their revenue assurance efforts. A report just released from Technology Research Institute, titled Revenue Assurance, Mediation & Cost Management Solutions in Telecommunications, discusses the various revenue assurance challenges telecom service providers face. “At a large carrier you’ll find hundreds of revenue chains, which lead in and out of multiple OSSs and billing systems,” according to the report. “[Many] OSS connections lead to transaction failures creating huge revenue gaps and fall-out.”
The good news, as the report states, is that “[w]hen you recover leakage, you’re finding money that’s already there – money you can apply directly to the bottom line and not need a tremendous investment in network infrastructure or marketing dollars to realize. Carriers are starting to act on this awareness.” ATS’ solutions are profiled in the report and you’ll find a summary next issue.
In this edition of Network & Billing Update, we discuss the continuing UNE controversy and recent reports that the FCC may push beyond the current February 20th court deadline to issue new rules. We also cover a Consumer Reports survey of the wireless industry and related churn issues, the wireless industry’s challenge to the FCC’s wireless LNP rules, and an important intercarrier billing issue the OBF is addressing.
Timing, Outcome of
FCC Vote on UNEs Uncertain
Reports indicate that the FCC may push beyond February 20th before revising its unbundled network element rules. They also conflict on how the Commissioners are lining up on the issues. [More]. [Top of Page]
Consumer Reports
Survey Highlights Customer Churn Issues
In a survey of nearly 22,000 of its magazine subscribers, Consumer Reports recently found that a third of them are considering changing cell phone service providers because of frustrations with service quality. This ratio is consistent with industry statistics citing about 30 percent actual churn annually – roughly 2.5 percent per month. According to a Gartner Dataquest report, this monthly rate will likely persist for some time. [More] [Top of Page]
Wireless Industry
Challenges Number Portability Mandate
CTIA announced a federal policy agenda for 2003 in early January that centers largely on “fighting burdensome and unfunded mandates,” including the FCC's wireless local number portability (LNP) requirement. Under the LNP rules, scheduled to take effect this November, wireless carriers must make changes to their networks to permit consumers to keep their phone numbers when they change carriers. CTIA believes that it will cost the wireless industry billions of dollars to implement LNP. [More] [Top of Page]
OBF Works on
Intercarrier Billing Issues Between Wireless and Wireline Carriers
The ATIS Ordering and Billing Forum is currently addressing the problem that carriers have in determining jurisdiction, for proper billing and taxing, when they terminate calls that originate on wireless and some CLEC networks. This issue can be responsible for significant revenues. [More] [Top of Page]
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