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.
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Initiating the Process
If you want to change companies:
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Do not terminate your service
with your existing company before initiating
service with the prospective new company.
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Contact the new company,
which will start the process of porting your number by
contacting your current company. Be prepared to provide
the new company with your 10-digit phone number,
customer account number, five-digit zip code, and
passcode, if applicable.
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Be aware that when terminating
service with a wireless company, you may be obligated to
pay any early termination fees under your existing
contract. Also, when terminating service with any company,
you are usually required to pay any outstanding balance
owed. Review your bill or contract to determine what fees
or charges apply. Once you request service from the new
company, however, your old company may not refuse to
port your number, even if you owe money for an
outstanding balance or termination fee.
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You may request service from a new
company at any time.
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Fees and Charges
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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.
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Companies may not refuse to port a number
because a consumer has not paid for porting.
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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
The FCC has changed its number porting rules
to shorten the porting period for “simple” ports from the
current four days to one business day. The new deadline applies
to all simple ports, including “intermodal” ports such as
wireline to wireless, wireless to wireline, wireline or wireless
to VoIP, or any other combination. Simple ports generally do not
involve more than one line or more complex adjustments to
telephone switching equipment. Wireline, wireless, and
interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers are
required to meet this new, simple port deadline, which will take
effect in late summer 2010 for most carriers. Small, rural
carriers have a longer period, until the beginning of 2011, to
meet the new porting deadline.
During Porting
If you port from a wireline phone to a
wireless phone, there may be a period of “mixed service” –
when you essentially have two telephones with the same number.
Ask your new wireless company whether you will be able to
continue using your current wireline number during the one day
transfer process. Also, 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.
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 for some wireless phones
and in some parts of the country.
As noted above, during the one day 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 if the one day porting
process 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:
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your name, address, e-mail address, and
phone number where you can be reached;
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the telephone and account numbers that are
the subject of your complaint;
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the names and phone numbers of any
companies involved with your complaint;
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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
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the details of your complaint and any
additional relevant information.
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For More Information
For more information on number
portability, visit the FCC’s Web site at
www.fcc.gov/cgb/NumberPortability. For information about
other telecommunications issues, visit the FCC’s Consumer &
Governmental Affairs Bureau Web site at
www.fcc.gov/cgb, or contact the FCC’s Consumer Center
using the information provided for filing a complaint. |
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