Background

Under the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) “local number portability” (LNP) rules, so long as you remain in the same geographic area, you can switch telephone service providers, including interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, and keep your existing phone number. If you are moving from one geographic area to another, however, you may not be able to take your number with you. Therefore, subscribers remaining in the same geographic area can now switch from a wireless, wireline, or VoIP provider to any other wireless, wireline, or VoIP provider and still keep their existing phone numbers.

Fees and Charges

• Companies may assess fees to recover the costs that they incur in providing number portability. Fees may vary between companies, and some companies may not charge any fees.

• Companies may not refuse to port a number because a consumer has not paid for porting.

• When considering a switch, consumers should ask the new company whether it charges any number portability fees and whether those fees can be waived.

The Porting Period

Your new telephone company can usually give you a good idea about how long the process will take. To keep the process as short as possible, the FCC recently clarified that companies may not obstruct or delay number porting by requiring you to provide excessive personal information before porting your existing telephone number. In addition, the FCC clarified that validation for a simple number port should require no more than the following information: (1) 10-digit telephone number; (2) customer account number; (3) 5-digit zip code; and (4) pass code, if it applies.

The FCC is also considering imposing additional requirements to make LNP more efficient, including shortening porting periods for simple ports.

• For a wireless-to-wireless transfer, your phone number should work within a few hours of your request to change wireless providers.

• A wireline-to-wireless transfer may take several business days to complete. Ask your new wireless company whether you will be able to continue using your current wireline number during the transfer process. There may be a period of “mixed service,” when you essentially have two telephones with the same number during the adjustment period.

• If you port from a wireline phone to a wireless phone, your wireline long distance company will not move with you. Your long distance service will generally be provided by your new wireless company, but you should verify this with the new wireless company before changing service providers.

Note: Certain small wireline companies may have an exemption from the porting requirements if they have received a waiver from their state public service commission. Customers who want to port a wireline number to a wireless phone, and are told that they cannot, should contact their state public service commission to find out whether their wireline company has been granted a waiver. A directory of state public service commissions can be found at www.naruc.org/commissions.cfm.

Emergency Services

In some areas, 911 operators automatically receive the phone number or location of a wireless call, but in many areas, that is not the case. Technology that will provide that information – Enhanced 911 or “E911” – is currently being implemented, but is not yet available using many wireless phones and in many parts of the country.

As noted above, during the porting process from the old company to the new company, there may be a period of “mixed service” - when you may have two telephones with the same number. During this time period, your E911 service may be affected. The call should go through, but the 911 operator may not be able to call you back if the call gets disconnected. For this reason, before porting either a wireless or a wireline number, ask the new company how long the porting process will take and how it will affect a 911 call.

Handsets and Special Services

In some instances, wireless handsets of different wireless telephone companies are incompatible. If you switch wireless companies, you may need to purchase a new handset, even if you retain the same phone number. If you have concerns about purchasing a new handset, ask your new wireless company whether or not your current handset will work with that company’s network.

Also, be aware that in a few areas, as consumers with ported numbers roam outside their normal wireless service areas, they may only be able to send and receive calls. Other services, such as caller ID, may not function properly.

Filing a Complaint with the FCC

If you have a problem porting your phone number from one service provider to another, first try to resolve it with the responsible provider. If you cannot resolve the problem directly, you can file a complaint with the FCC. There is no charge for filing a complaint. You can file your complaint using an FCC on-line complaint form found at esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. You can also file your complaint with the FCC’s Consumer Center by e-mailing fccinfo@fcc.gov; calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to:

Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554.

What to Include in Your Complaint

The best way to provide all the information the FCC needs to process your complaint is to complete fully the on-line complaint form. When you open the on-line complaint form, you will be asked a series of questions that will take you to the particular section of the form you need to complete. If you do not use the on-line complaint form, your complaint, at a minimum, should indicate:

• your name, address, e-mail address, and phone number where you can be reached;

• the telephone and account numbers that are the subject of your complaint;

• the names and phone numbers of any companies involved with your complaint;

• the amount of any disputed charges, whether you paid them, whether you received a refund or adjustment to your bill, the amount of any adjustment or refund you have received, an explanation if the disputed charges are related to services in addition to residence or business telephone services; and

• the details of your complaint and any additional relevant information.

For this or any other consumer publication in an accessible format
(electronic ASCII text, Braille, large print, or audio) please write or
call us at the address or phone number below, or send an e-mail to FCC504@fcc.gov.

To receive information on this and other FCC consumer topics through
the Commission's electronic subscriber service, visit
www.fcc.gov/cgb/contacts/.

This document is for consumer education purposes only and is not intended to
affect any proceeding or cases involving this subject matter or related issues.

10/08/08

	Federal Communications Commission · Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau · 445 12th St. S.W. · Washington, DC 20554
	1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)  ·  TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322)  · Fax: 1-866-418-0232  · www.fcc.gov/cgb/