Transcript Telephone Numbers, Local Number Portability, and TCPA
Telephone Numbers, Local Number Portability, and TCPA Compliance
July 2013 1
Lisa Turner
Product Manager, Wireless Do-Not-Call
© Neustar Inc. / Proprietary and Confidential
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Index
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Neustar Overview
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US Telephone Number Anatomy
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Local/Wireless Number Portability Overview
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Local/Wireless Number Portability Process
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Some Telephone Numbering Facts
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Telephone Number Use
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Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) Regulatory History
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Neustar Intermodal Ported TN Identification Service
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Neustar Contact
5/1/2020 © Neustar Inc. / Proprietary and Confidential
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Neustar Overview
Neustar is the leading provider of mission-critical clearinghouse services for communications
.
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Addressing
»
Trusted, neutral administrator of addressing directories, utilities and registries for the telephony and Internet communities worldwide
» »
Enables the routing of virtually every telephone call dialed in North America Operates the authoritative database of all North American telephone numbers
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Conserves and optimizes shared public telephone numbering resources Spearheads online digital identity efforts and number translation services
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Interoperability
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Operator of a unique inter-carrier transaction clearinghouse platform that enables IP/converged services
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Delivers efficiencies to markets where natural competitors must exchange millions of transactions per day Accelerates service providers' time-to-market, allowing them to focus on core businesses while enhancing the value of products and services
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Infrastructure
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Premier provider of infrastructure services that enable networks to connect and interoperate
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Assists service providers in managing their internal systems (especially where those systems interface with volatile, high-volume inter-carrier networks) Manages shared operations data among competing carriers
5/1/2020 © Neustar Inc. / Proprietary and Confidential
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US Telephone Number Anatomy
• Format: (NPA) NXX-XXXX » NPA = Number Planning Area (Area Code) » » » » » NXX = Central Office Code (Prefix/Exchange) XXXX = Line Number N digit can be any number from 2 to 9 P, A, X can be any number from 0 to 9 Ex: (571) 434-5400 − 571 − 434 Area code assigned in Virginia Identifies Exchange assigned to a Telco within a specific Rate Center using a specific telephone company switch Line Number assigned to Neustar PBX (Private Branch Exchange) − 5400 • A part of the North American Numbering Plan » Comprises 19 countries including US, Canada, and Caribbean nations © Neustar Inc. / Proprietary and Confidential 5/1/2020
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Local/Wireless Number Portability Overview
• The Telecommunication Act of 1996 defined "number portability" as "the ability of users of telecommunications services to retain, at the same location, existing telecommunications numbers without impairment of quality, reliability, or convenience when switching from one telecommunications carrier to another • The Telecommunications Act of 1996 established a "competitive checklist" that required the Bell Operating Companies (BOCs) to be in full compliance with the FCC’s LNP regulations in order to provide in-region inter-LATA services. The Bell Operating Companies were not permitted to offer long distance service until such time that LNP had been implemented in their service areas.
5/1/2020
Bottom line: Business and consumers can now switch their local telephone carrier without having to change their telephone number.
© Neustar Inc. / Proprietary and Confidential
Local/Wireless Number Portability Process
8. Broadcast New Routing Instructions Carrier Telephone Networks PSTN PSTN Carrier Telephone Networks Number Portability Administration Center 4. Creation of Pending Port 7. Activation of Approved Pending Port New Service Provider 1. Requests to Port Number 3. Confirmation of Subscriber Information 5. Notification of Pending Port Consumers & Businesses 2. Request to Validate Subscriber Information 6. Approval of Pending Port* Old Service Provider
*Note: The Old Service Provider may NOT approve the port and place the Pending Port in “Conflict”, which, typically requires “verbal” interaction between the new and old service providers. If the consumer or business changes their mind and does not wish to port, the Pending Port may be “Cancelled.”
Telephone Number Use
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Before
» LNP, the telephone number: Identified the state to which it is assigned » » » » » Identified the rate center to which it is assigned Identified the service local/wireless carrier who serves the number Identified the underlying technology (wireline or wireless) associated with the number as derived by knowing the type of carrier Used solely by telephony network to set-up and route calls Used solely by mobile networks (if a mobile TN) for roaming registration and validation •
After
» » » » » » LNP, the telephone number: Still identifies the state to which it is assigned Still identifies the rate center to which it is assigned *
No longer
identifies the service local/wireless carrier who serves the number
*No longer
identifies the underlying technology (wireline or wireless) associated with the number as derived by knowing the type of carrier
*No longer is
used solely by telephony network to set-up and route calls
*No longer is
used solely by mobile networks (if a mobile TN) for roaming registration and validation
Some Telephone Numbering Facts
• In the NANP (North American Numbering Plan), 325 area codes have been assigned covering over 100,000 working prefixes/exchanges (
source NANPA)
• In the US, there are estimated to be 600+ million working telephone numbers • LNP (Local Number Portability) has been available in the top 100 MSAs (Metropolitan Statistical Areas (these are defined by the Census Bureau)) since 1997 for wireline telephone numbers • WNP (Wireless Number Portability) has been available in the top 100 MSAs since November 24, 2003 for wireless numbers • There have been over 37 million wireless telephone numbers ported
. (Source FCC)
• Over 2.8 million telephone numbers have been ported from wireline carriers to wireless carriers
(Source FCC)
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FCC TCPA Regulatory History
In December 1991, Congress passed the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) in an effort to address a growing number of telephone marketing calls and certain telemarketing practices thought to be an invasion of consumer privacy and even a risk to public safety.
• In 1992, the FCC adopted rules implementing the requirements of the TCPA. The TCPA specifically prohibits calls using an auto dialer or artificial or prerecorded message “to any telephone number assigned to a paging service, cellular telephone service, specialized mobile radio service, or other radio common carrier service, or any service for which the called party is charged that capability is being used.) .” Note: Courts have interpreted the term “automated telephone dialing systems” broadly to include equipment that is capable of automated dialing, whether or not • In July 2003, the problem.
FCC rejected a proposal to create a “good faith” exception for inadvertent autodialed or prerecorded calls to wireless numbers finding there are adequate solutions in the marketplace to solve the • In September 2004, the FCC established a limited safe harbor period in which persons will not be liable for placing autodialed or artificial or prerecorded message calls to numbers recently ported from wireline to wireless service. The FCC concluded that callers will not be in violation of 47 C.F.R. has been completed and the number appears in § 64.1200(a)(1)(iii) for autodialed or artificial or prerecorded message calls placed to a wireless number that has been ported from a wireline service within the previous 15 days, provided the number is not already on the national do-not-call registry or caller’s company-specific do-not-call list. The 15-day safe harbor period runs from the time the port Neustar’s “Intermodal Ported TN Identification Service” as a wireless number.
Bottom Line: Calls placed using auto-dialers or made with artificial or prerecorded messages are prohibited to wireless phones without the prior express consent – which must be written in certain cases in – of the then-current subscriber. There is, however, a 15-day safe harbor period in cases where a telephone number is ported from a wireline to a wireless service. Posting of the telephone number Neustar’s Intermodal Ported TN Identification Service starts the 15-day safe harbor period clock.
Intermodal Ported TN Identification Service
• Available at www.tcpacompliance.us
• Two ASCII text files updated daily: » » One file identifies telephone numbers that have ported/moved from wireline carriers to wireless carriers since the inception of WNP Another file identifies telephone numbers that have ported/moved from wireless carriers to wireline carriers since the inception of WNP − Both files are available in two different ASCII text formats • Provided on a subscription basis: » » » Reasonable fee Unlimited downloads Strict data use and data disclosure restrictions; subscribers can be audited
Neustar Contact
• Lisa Turner, Product Manager, Wireless Do-Not-Call 571.434.5169