Cingular can't hold you hostage, once the law goes into effect they are
REQUIRED to release it if you ask, or they face nasty penalties. Due to
logistics and technology issues they might stall a bit, but in the end they
have no choice but to give up your number. I suspect Verizon will be doing
the same as well. I, for one, have been very happy with Cingular, and no
company is perfect, so I hope you will be happier when you switch.

Cingular is already testing WLNP , verizon hasn't even gotten that far
yet...The folks at VZ are trying to get you all riled up when it comes
time you won't take any save offers Cingular presents to you...basically
VZ is LYING!

I'd wait until this is an established procedure.  You do have to give
them a month's notice (going by your sign up date), and then expect at
least one bill to arrive about a month after you stepped away.  Save up
some money as you'll be facing both a bill from them and a bill from
Verizon.  Other than that it should be a cake walk.
Please bear in mind that several Cingular customers switch back to a GSM
provider.  Neither GSM or CDMA is going to be everywhere.

"Verizon User" <anonymous@anon.com> wrote in article
<5Rhbb.5928$hL1.1866@nwrdny01.gnilink.net>:

I don't trust Verizon for one reason. They seem to want to do nothing
but bash their competition. The guys in my area  (and it seems like
your area too) do nothing but tell me all the bad things about
Cingular, Cricket, Sprint, and AT&T. Nothing about them however.

"Is this true?"

No it's not. Cingular just like everyone else is REQUIRED by the FCC
to be ready for WLNP by Nov. 24th. So long as the number you have with
Cingular is still in the same metro area as your new Verizon service,
you will be able to move your number. The drawback which seems to be
pinned solely on Cingular is the contract. No matter who you are with,
if you are under contract, you can't switch. It's not a ploy to hold
you hostage, just an agreement you made with them 1 or 2 years ago,
that you now have to fulfill.

Look at football players. They are under contract with a specific
team. Just because their team is last, and they are not getting the
amount of money they WANT (not talking about the amount in the
contract), they can't move to another team until their contract is up.
Same with anything else. You sign a contract you get fines for
breaking it.

I would wait until your contract is almost up. Then talk to Verizon if
that is where you want to go. Check out the postings here. I got a
press release from Cingular. It was a check list of things to watch
for when switching your service. This might help you to keep your
number and not pay any fees.

Hope that helps. No matter how bad the guy at Verizon talks about
Cingular, all the wireless companies are in the same boat. They all
have to comply by Nov. 24th and they all will. There are no "insider
Secrets" that say any of the companies will not be ready.

After all, if the all might Verizon is the only one ready to do the
WLNP, then who will they work with? No one else is ready.

Here is a point to think about.

DO YOU LIVE IN THE TOP 100 MARKET(S)????

IF NOT,  YOU CANT TAKE YOUR NUMBER UNTIL MARCH-MAY (forgot the month)

Many people are forgetting this little tidbit of info.

Only top 100 markets are required to comply with the new law. The rest
must wait.