What is Porting and why do I need it?

In 1996 the Federal Communications Commission Authorized all local exchange carriers to offer local number portability. This enables subscribers to change their service provider whilst keeping their existing telephone number. Its purpose is to foster consumer choice and effective competition by enabling subscribers to switch between providers without the costs and inconvenience of changing telephone number.

What is required to port a number?

1. Company Name
2. Service Address
3. Billing Telephone Number
4. LOA
5. Bill
6. CSR

What happens when you port a number?

New Carrier:

1. A request is made to the NEW carrier
2. New carrier checks if they have coverage in the requested area
3. New carrier checks the paperwork to make sure it’s complete
4. New carrier submits paperwork to NPAC system

Old Carrier:

1. Old carrier is notified via NPAC of port
2. Old carrier reviews paperwork, matches against account
3. Old carrier either rejects the order because it’s not authorized, OR old carrier accepts the port and schedules it for the requested date/time in the NPAC system

Day of Port:

1. New carrier is automatically transferred the number on the date/time agreed upon
2. New carrier adds the customer’s phone number to their system
3. Old carrier is supposed to remove the number from their system

What could cause a delay in porting?

1. The old provider schedules the date/time for transfer differently than expected (Either they enter it incorrectly, the new provider enters it incorrectly or the old provider tells the new provider the wrong date/time)
2. The old provider releases the number but the new provider doesn’t add it to their database. Now the number is owned by the new provider, but calls don’t actually go anywhere
3. The old provider releases the number to the new provider, but the old provider fails to delete the number from their database. Now the number routes both to the old provider and the new provider, depending on who calls it