A classic round-up report in the New York Times on the impact of wireline to wireless number portability. I think it is a must read to get a complete over view of the recent developments.

bq. Users in the 100 largest metropolitan areas will be able to switch their wire-line phone numbers to wireless phones on Nov. 24 as long as the wireless carrier’s coverage area includes the telephone’s location. The regulation will go into effect for the rest of the country by May 24, 2004.

bq. Industry analysts estimate that 3 percent to 7 percent of telephone users – or 4.5 million to 10.5 million people – no longer have traditional land-line phones and rely on cellphone services exclusively. As many as 15 percent of mobile phone users said they would consider abandoning their traditional phone service and moving to exclusively mobile service, according to a survey taken last spring by the Yankee Group, a market research firm.