Number porting

Federal law gives carriers a duty to provide number portability, and FCC rules set porting intervals: simple ports must complete within one business day, while ports involving many numbers or complex arrangements take longer and are scheduled. The new provider submits the request with a letter of authorization and a recent bill, and the old carrier releases the numbers on the agreed date.

For a growing business porting is the riskiest hour of a phone project: if the details do not match the old carrier's records exactly, the port is rejected and the cutover slips. Toll-free numbers, fax lines, alarm lines and numbers bundled with internet service each need attention. Never cancel the old service before the port completes, or the numbers can be lost.

Ask the new provider who manages the port end to end, what information they need from your current bill, how they handle rejections, whether temporary numbers are used during the transition, and how the port date is coordinated with installing phones. Ask the old carrier about contract terms and early termination fees before you start.