WASHINGTON, Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Consumers will be able to transfer their home phone numbers to their cell phones starting Monday.
A federal court in Washington denied the phone industry's request Friday to delay the new Federal Communications rule that allows the transfer.
The court did, however, agree to hear the lawsuit filed by United States Telecom Association and Centurytel, the New York Times reported Saturday.
The court ordered the FCC to respond by Wednesday and gave the plaintiffs until Dec. 2 to reply, the Times said.
The new rules allow customers in the 100 largest metropolitan areas to keep their phone numbers when they change wireless carriers and allow them to move numbers from home phone lines to wireless phones.
The home telephone industry claims the new rules are unfair because they do not require wireless carriers to transfer cell phones numbers to wire-line phones.
Officials have defended the FCC action, saying there was less demand for wireless-to-wire-line number portability.
