VOIP Tech Chat → The myth of Local Number Portability

I thought I'd send joshj's comment to a new thread:

said by joshj1:

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The one thing that I think is really holding people back is that local number portability is not widely available. Several places have it, and that's great, but I've tested a bunch of numbers in the 916, 408, and 530 area codes and none of them can be ported -- these are in Northern California (Sacramento and San Jose) which I think represents an enormous potential market for Vonage (lots of geeks -- oh, I mean 'early adopters'). In fairness, some numbers in 650 (Palo Alto) do work for LNP.

LNP: The final frontier

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I've had absolutely no luck with LNP with Qwest in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, either. In fact, the only posts I've seen where people can port their numbers seem to be from Verizon customers. Wasn't LNP an FCC mandate?

Naw

[sarcasm on]
Just keep paying the local telco the portability fee and don't worry about ever using that service..
[sarcasm off]

Sorry had to get that out. Pisses me off too

It is a Myth in the cell phone forum too: »Cellphone # portability = home # portability?

said by subnova:

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In fact, the only posts I've seen where people can port their numbers seem to be from Verizon customers. Wasn't LNP an FCC mandate?

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I had no trouble porting my number from SBC to Vonage, took 10 business days.

Qwest will make it the largest pain in the backside you can see. I ported 250 DID's off a T1 at work about 9 months ago to Cox Telephone, I had no problems moving the numbers however Qwest absoutely REFUSED to disconnect the T1! I was being billed for 6 months on 23 trunks with no termination, it finally took a threat to call the PSC, they then credited back the $4000+ they had been billing us! They even sent disconnect notices, I was SURE GO AHEAD! they even called a few times to complain that I was not going to pay the bill, I said, so disconnect me, and they just kept billing! Portability is a great concept, I think it will all work out once the new LEC's have as many customers as ma-bell

I wonder if vonagerep could shed a little light on the LNP issue. I inquired once and received a reply from a them that LNP required a "swap" between Vonage and the local telco and that Vonage didn't have enough numbers to swap in many areas. I posted that on this board months ago and it seemed that answer was totally discredited.

It seems fairly simple at this end that if they offer numbers in the same rate center/switching office they ought to be able to port those numbers over. Help!

Well, here's my problem- Vonage has 3 or 4 area codes/prefixes available in my rate center (TWINCITIES) but they're only in a few COs (not mine). Here's the NANPA database info for Vonage:

MN 952 400 AS 2557 XO MINNESOTA, LLC TWINCITIES MPLTMNFJDS0

and here's my local number:

MN 952 xxx AS 9631 QWEST CORPORATION TWINCITIES EDPRMNEP94G

I thought that you only had to be in the same rate center for LNP to work?..

That's my understanding too. However, I'm in St. Louis, my vonage number is in the same rate center and yet I still can't transfer my number.

There's no information from Vonage about when it will be available.

I'm growing tired of paying $40/month just to foward my SBC number to Vonage. I love Vonage and all it's call features. However, if I don't get LNP soon, I'm going to have to go back to SBC and wait it out.

LNP. Now there's something I'm never going to try again. We moved over a year ago, and not only did we lose our numbers (the most important thing you can have in business), but we're still having interruptions and confusion even after this long. The SBC Family = Evil.

It would be nice to learn exactly how LNP works and why it isn't widely available with Vonage. Vonagerep, are you around?

said by joshj1:

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It would be nice to learn exactly how LNP works and why it isn't widely available with Vonage. Vonagerep, are you around?

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I would not wait to hear from vonage_rep . In my opinion, they use that account just as a marketing device.

It isnt widely available with anybody.

So who's to blame, then? Is it that the paperwork just doesn't go through without a lot of intervention on the part of the customer, or do some telcos simply not offer number portability outside their own service area?

NO telcos offer number portability outside their own service area. Number Portability was not designed to allow you to take your phone number to a different location, it was designed to allow you to switch phone providers (and add an element of competition to phone service).

Many telcos are dragging their feet kicking and screaming about allowing you to keep your phone number. Some will make it as difficult as they possibly can and will not stop until they are forced to stop by the courts or by the FCC.

Vonage doesn't offer any numbers in my area code (713), they offer 832 which is an overlay area code. I was still able to port my 713 number to Vonage.

If you are having trouble porting your number to Vonage, you can be sure that Vonage is not the problem. They have to get the number from your local telco, and the telcos have no desire to give that up.

said by Cam:

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Vonage doesn't offer any numbers in my area code (713), they offer 832 which is an overlay area code. I was still able to port my 713 number to Vonage.

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Same with me. I have a 713 number that was just ported to Vonage. It took exactly 15 business days, but it went off without a hitch as far as I can tell. The funny thing is, I keep getting letters from SBC telling me that they want me back. But the deals they are offering are about $30 more than I was and am currently paying. I just laugh.
[text was edited by author 2003-06-16 14:04:43]

Yeah, funny you mention that. I also get the same letters from SBC and just today I got a telemarketing call from them.

Some people just can't take a hint. lol

said by ggmorton:

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Same with me. I have a 713 number that was just ported to Vonage. It took exactly 15 business days, but it went off without a hitch as far as I can tell.

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It's pretty slow going getting my 281 number ported over. It went the 15 days, and I just heard it will now go another 15 due to some mix up with the LNP "clearing house". Vonage has been very cool throughout though... quick responses to my sometimes heated e-mails, and even a month's credit to compensate for the additional time I'll need to pay for the SBC service.

Dan

I moved over from MCI local services to Vonage no problem 10 business days exactly. I am in the 212 area code.

I'm sure it isn't Vonage's fault that LNP isn't available all over, but I'd like to hear their explanation of the problem. I'd be happy to write my congressman, the FCC, and state PUC if the local telco is truly to blame here. It appears the local CLEC in my area is XO Communications, and I want to make sure it isn't an XO issue before I start complaining loudly.

said by joshj1:

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I'd be happy to write my congressman, the FCC, and state PUC if the local telco is truly to blame here.

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Excellent idea. To take it one step further, I'd love it if Vonage could list the name, address and phone number of who to complain to if your number comes up as non-portable on the web site.

said by subnova:

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Excellent idea. To take it one step further, I'd love it if Vonage could list the name, address and phone number of who to complain to if your number comes up as non-portable on the web site.

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That would be cool, huh? Maybe a letter with "suggested" wording, for people who are not letter writers.