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💡 What is it?

Porting is the act of transferring a 10-digit phone number from one carrier to another carrier. 

Under the FCC's LNP (local number portability), you are legally able to keep your number when you move or change phone companies. The FCC allows individuals to port a phone number if they are the current authorized user or owner of the phone number. 

⚙️ How it works 

Phone Number Ownership

• Owning a phone number means that you are currently paying a phone carrier to keep that number active in your name. In order to port a 10-digit phone number, you must own the phone number currently (i.e., be currently paying a carrier to keep the number active in your name).

General Porting Process

This process applies to both porting in and away from any phone carrier.

• Current/Losing Carrier = The current carrier keeping the phone number active and in service
• New/Gaining Carrier = The new carrier, who will pull the number to their system

Check for Portability		Start a Port Request
1️⃣ As the owner of a phone number, you will initiate a port request with your Current/Losing Carrier or New/Gaining Carrier.  2️⃣ The New/Gaining Carrier will first check for portability to determine whether it supports the rate center (Rate Center Overview 📖) of that specific 10-digit phone number.		3️⃣ The New/Gaining Carrier creates a port request for the 10-digit phone number. The port request must contain the exact matching porting credentials that are on the Current/Losing Carrier system (Authorized user name, service address, account number, and PIN).
Authorization of a Port Request
4️⃣ Most Current/Losing Carrier will ask for authorization to know the actual owner (authorized user) of the phone number, who is starting the transfer request. Authorization can be in the form of an LOA (letter of authorization), a phone call, or a text message to the 10-digit phone number.
Submit a Port Request		Number Transfer (Port) Complete
5️⃣ The New/Gaining Carrier submits the port request to the  Current/Losing Carrier to be approved based on the submitted information. If a rejection is received (which is common), the New/Gaining Carrier will continue to update and submit the requests until the port is approved. The owner of the number is responsible for communicating with the Current/Losing Carrier  to gather the correct porting credentials or resolving rejections.		6️⃣ Once the port is approved, both carriers agree on a confirmation date, called an FOC (firm order confirmation) Date.  7️⃣ On the FOC date, the New/Gaining Carrier, will pull the number over to their system. 8️⃣ Once ported successfully, the service on the Current/Losing Carrier will stop working, and the phone will be serviced only by the New/Gaining Carrier.

📌 Things to Know 

Porting Time Frame

• Porting time frames are set by the FCC to be same-day for only wireless-to-wireless port requests. This means that if you are porting your number from a mobile (wireless) carrier to another mobile carrier, it must be completed on the same day.
• However, there are no regulations for any other type of porting, like landline/wireline-to-wireless porting. This type of porting can be same-day, or it can take 3-10, or in extreme cases, up to 30 business days to complete the transfer. 
  • The reason for the time-frame variables has to do with the following:
    • Incorrect porting credentials are being sent, and having to resolve the rejections
    • Other non-information-based rejections (see Common Rejection reasons here)
    • Carriers only porting numbers on business, non-holiday days
    • Authorization requirements 

Cost of Porting

• In general, only the New/Gaining Carrier will charge for porting, since they are performing the task of pulling the number to their system.
• Fees related to porting a number away from a carrier may exist; always check with your Current/Losing Carrier about what will happen if you port your number away from their service, every carrier is different. 
• See NumberBarn Porting Cost 📖 

Impact of Porting on Current Carrier Services and Plan

• Always check with your Current/Losing Carrier before you start a port request to check on the following:
  • What happens to my account if I port away a phone number?
    • Some carriers will close or delete the entire account, but every carrier is different

🗞️ Related Articles

• Port In Number 🛠️
• Port Away Credentials 📖
• Check Carrier Specific Portability 🛠️