Tele-Tech's Blog

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISION (FCC) UPDATES

Porting Period Shortened
In a May 13, 2009, Report and Order (R&O) issued by the FCC, the "porting interval for simple wireline and simple intermodal port requests" was modified from four-days to one business day. So, service providers (wireline, wireless and certain Voice over Internet Protocol companies) will now be required to process customer requested transfers of existing phone numbers from one provider to another within one business day.

Now, what is "simple"? The FCC defines "simple ports as those ports that: (1) do not involve unbundled network elements; (2) involve an account only for a single line; (3) do not include complex switch translations (e.g., Centrex, ISDN, AIN services, remote call forwarding, or multiple services on the loop); and (4) do not include a reseller. This may sound a little confusing to consumers – and, in fact, Michael Copps, FCC Acting Chairman, acknowledges certain "non-simple ports look no different to consumers than simple ports, yet the shortened interval adopted in this Order will not apply". So, there will be some fine-tuning still to come with regard to porting processes and simple/non-simple ports.

From four to one. Recognizing this shortened porting period may necessitate some service providers to modify processes and functionality in order to comply, the North American Numbering Council (NANC) has been directed to develop new "local number portability process flows" in 90 days. Once NANC’s new process flows are complete, large providers will have nine months to comply (small carriers will have 15 months).

The full Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking may be viewed at: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-09-41A1.pdf

~~~

Interconnection VoIP Notification Requirements
In a second May 13, 2009, R&O, the FCC also required interconnected VoIP service providers ("those whose customers can place calls to and receive calls from the public telephone network, rather than solely over the Internet") to provide customers written notice prior discontinuation, reduction or impairment of service. This puts VoIP carriers under the same notification requirements as conventional voice service providers.

The full Report and Order may be viewed at: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-09-40A1.pdf