Wireless Local Number Portability
Since late 2003 wireless phone service subscribers have been granted the freedom to keep their phone number when switching service from one wireless carrier to another wireless carrier. The government agency that regulates the wireless industry, the FCC, has decreed that all subscribers must be able to move their phone number from one carrier to another. This transfer of a phone number is called porting. You will hear the ability to port a number called, 'number portability', 'local number portability', and 'wireless number portability (WLNP)' among other things.

The FCC mandate for number portability includes a few restrictions and a time line for its implementation. Briefly, subscribers with billing addresses in the top 100 U.S. population centers (called MSAs) are be able to take their numbers with them. Following are some FAQs that explain everything you need to know about local number portability.

FAQs ABOUT LOCAL NUMBER PORTABILITY

What is wireless local number portability (LNP)?

Wireless LNP is a wireless consumer's ability to change service providers within the same local area and still keep the same phone number.
Wireless LNP allows consumers to switch from one wireless carrier to another within the same general metropolitan area. It does not allow consumers to keep the same phone number when moving to a new town or city.
Wireless LNP also allows consumers to move a phone number from a wireline phone to a wireless phone in some cases.

Are there exceptions?

The law permits state public utility commissions to grant certain small wireline carriers waivers from the May 24th deadline. Customers who want to port a wireline number to a wireless phone and are told that they cannot should contact their state public utility commission to find out whether their wireline carrier has been granted a waiver. The FCC has not granted any waivers that would allow a wireless carrier to refuse to allow a consumer to port their number to another wireless carrier.
Who should consumers contact if they want to port their number to a new carrier?
Consumers should contact their prospective new carrier, who will start the porting process. The new carrier will first confirm the consumer's identity and then make a porting request of the old carrier. When consumers go to their new carrier to port a number, they should bring along a recent bill, which will have their correct name and address as it appears in the carrier’s database. This should aid in making the porting process go smoothly. Once a valid porting request has been made, the old carrier cannot refuse to port a number.

Are carriers allowed to charge for number porting, and, if so, how much can the charges be?

Carriers are allowed to recover their costs of implementing wireless LNP by charging fees to customers. They have been allowed to do this in advance of the LNP deadline because they have been incurring costs for LNP upgrades in preparation for the deadline.
Carriers may recover their costs either by including line-item fees for LNP on their customers' monthly bills or by raising the monthly rate. Carriers that have been adding line items to consumer bills to recover LNP costs have typically been charging from a few cents to a little over a dollar. Carriers are also allowed to charge a fee to customers at the time their number is ported. However, there are no rules preventing a new carrier from paying an old carrier's porting costs for the benefit of the new customer. You should ask the new carrier whether it has a policy of paying or reimbursing such charges.

Can different carriers charge different amounts?

Yes, because different carriers have varying costs of operating due to numerous economic factors. Although the FCC does not regulate the amount of such charges, all such charges must be just and reasonable.

If a consumer has a long-term contract with a carrier, is that consumer still obligated to pay an early termination fee even if he/she ports the phone number to a new carrier?

Yes. While consumers who wish to switch carriers may request service from and port numbers to a new carrier at any time, they are still obligated to pay any early termination fees they may have under an existing contract, and they are obligated to pay any outstanding balance owed to the old carrier. Consumers interested in switching providers should review their existing contract to determine what fees or charges would apply.
However, once a consumer has requested service from a new carrier, the old carrier may not delay or refuse to port a number even if that individual owes money for an outstanding balance or termination fee.

Can consumers port a wireline number to a wireless phone?

Wireline-to-wireless porting is possible in some cases. Consumers interested in porting a number from a wireline to a wireless phone should check with the prospective new wireless carrier to see if wireline to wireless porting is an option for them.
If you port a number from a wireline phone to a wireless phone, your wireline long distance carrier will not move with you. Your new wireless carrier will generally provide your long distance carrier.

How long will the porting process take?

For a wireless-to-wireless transfer, the porting process should take approximately two and a half hours from the time the porting request is made of the old carrier. The FCC has not mandated a specific time frame for the wireless-to-wireless porting process. Two and a half hours is the time frame agreed upon by the wireless industry, and the FCC encourages carriers to use that time frame. A wireline-to-wireless port will probably take longer to complete, and could take several days. Before porting between wireline and wireless phones, consumers should ask their new service provider how long the process will take.

If consumers port a number to a new wireless carrier, can they still use their current phone?

For various reasons, wireless handsets are often incompatible among different wireless service providers. Consumers will likely need to purchase a new phone, even when they retain the same phone number. Even when a phone can be reprogrammed to work on a new network, most carriers may have policies against doing so.

Will porting my number cause any problems with E911?

During the time the number is being ported from the old carrier to the new carrier, there may be a period of "mixed service" when E911 service is affected. If customers call 911 during this period, the call should go through. However, the 911 operator may not be able to call consumers back if the call gets disconnected.
Before porting either a wireless or a wireline number, consumers should ask their new service provider how long the porting process will take and how the porting process will affect emergency services.

Do the porting requirements apply to paging carriers?

No, the porting requirements do not apply to paging carriers.

I’ve heard that some consumers experienced difficulties while attempting to port their numbers during the initial rollout of wireless LNP. What should I expect if I try to port my number now?

Since the rollout of wireless LNP began, the FCC has been monitoring wireless and wireline carriers’ progress in implementing number portability. While there were a few technical bumps in the road during the initial stages of the rollout, carriers have resolved most of these issues and we expect the remainder of the implementation process to go smoothly, in most instances.

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