Porting FAQ
From VoIP.ms Wiki
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Please also check out our other Wiki Guides in Regards to Porting:
- Porting a Number
- Porting a US Number
- Porting a Canadian Number
- Porting a Toll Free Number
- Port Rejections
How much does it cost to Port a Number to VoIP.ms?
As of January 15th, 2020, all portings are free of charge across Canada and US48 for local and toll-free numbers.
Fax numbers have a $15 USD one-time fee per number.
For International Numbers please send your inquiry to [email protected]
Also note the following fees apply when porting numbers from US and Canada:
A $8.75 USD fee for a port resubmission after a rejection.
A $50 USD fee for a port cancellation once the order has been submitted to the carrier.
A $250 USD fee for expediting a port with the carrier, if available.
How to port my Google Voice Number to VoIP.ms
You will first want to make sure that your number is portable to our service by checking here Number Portability then please follow this guide to Unlock your Google Voice Number. You may use your username as the account number and your service address since Google does not list any on their website. If you have further questions please email us at [email protected]
How do I start the process to port my number(s)?
To start the porting request you can log in on your portal -> DID Numbers -> DID Portability and click on Start Procedure to start your porting order.
To port your number over, please verify with your existing service provider that the address listed in your Customer Service Record (CSR)/Account information/Customer portal is a physical address. PO BOX addresses are not valid for portability.
I am porting many numbers, what is the best way to proceed?
In this case, prior to submitting any porting request for many numbers, please email our LNP Department ( [email protected] ) with the batch you wish to port. Our LNP Team will verify your list of numbers and advise what is the best way to proceed with it.
What type of information will you need in order to port my number(s)?
The first thing you will need to provide to us is the Service Address of the number(s) you wish to port. This is the address where you will be using the number(s) and where you would like your E911 services to be listed. Even virtual numbers have a service address listed on the losing carrier’s side.
The service address will help us to fill up the Letter of Authorization (LOA). This form will be sent to our carrier to process your order.
In order to fill out this form, we will need the following information from you: Company Name (if applicable), Service Address (as it is listed with your current carrier), Service Provider Name, Number to port, Billing Telephone Number (BTN): This is the main billing number on your account that all of your numbers may be listed under. Please note that it is possible to have several different BTNs depending on how your account is set up.
All of the information needed for filling out the LOA can be supplied by your current phone provider by requesting a Customer Service Record (CSR).
Note: most local number portability does not require a signature as a LOA proof. Although some exceptions apply and will require the owner of the number(s) to hand-sign his current provider invoice. The exceptions are as follow:
- Portability of some ratecenters in Canada.
- Portability of toll-free numbers.
- Porting a number as a virtual Fax DID.
For local numbers in Canada, our LNP department will gladly advise the moment a signed invoice is required.
Note: We accept digital signatures, although they can in some cases be rejected. What is suggested to avoid any rejections is to receive a hand-signed signature.
My current carrier does not provide any invoices, what else can I submit?
If your carrier does not provide billing invoices, you can submit a screenshot from the losing carrier’s online portal that shows the customer name, number to port, and account information. The screenshot must also be printed, hand-signed, and sent to us.
What type of numbers can I port?
You can port any local, virtual, and even wireless number as long as we have coverage for that particular area. You can also port your Toll-Free numbers and Fax numbers, although Fax is only available for US and Canada numbers. Please note that Pager numbers are non-portable.
Can I have my existing VoIP.ms Voice number ported to your Fax service?
If you have already a voice number with us, we can (upon checking portability) transfer it for it to work as a Fax number. The fee is the same as the regular Fax port (15$) since our Voice carriers and Fax carriers are not related, even when both numbers are within our network. If you wish to transfer your Voice number to our Fax service please email us at [email protected]
- Please note that a Fax number will only work as a Fax and not as a Voice number anymore.
Internal Port (VoIP.ms to VoIP.ms)
Do you currently have a phone number (DID) in your account that you want to move to a different account? You can request this transfer through our portal's ticket system. If you need further help, please get in touch with our support team.
My number is not portable to your network, even though I am close to a city that is portable to you, why is that?
The portability of a number depends on our carriers to cover that city (or rate center which is where the number actually belongs) and some towns/cities are not available no matter how close they are to covered cities. In some cases, you can purchase a number from a certain city but it is not available for porting. This again depends on our carriers’ coverage and it is out of our hands.
Some numbers are simply not portable. These include anything from pagers to numbers from a few small rural independent telephone companies to "shared use" toll-free numbers where the customer only has use of the number in one city or one area code. A few loopholes exist for a provider to claim they, not you, "own" a number
No ICA. None of our carriers have an Interconnect Agreement in place with the telephone company that currently holds your number, making it non-portable.
Our managers are always looking for new carriers to cover more rate centers and also our current carriers are always expanding their coverage; we suggest that you come back in the future and verify if your rate center is available for porting. You may do so by logging in on your portal -> DID Numbers -> DID Portability -> Check Availability
How long does the port process take?
On average porting requests take from 5 business days to complete Canadian and US numbers and 2 weeks for Fax numbers; however, this can change depending always on the losing carrier’s cooperation level and also if there is any holiday in between. Please keep in mind any type of change or rejection can delay this process. This is why it is very important to verify the porting information prior to submitting an order.
What happens behind the scenes while my number is being ported?
Once your order has been submitted and received, you will be notified via email. After reviewing your order, we will submit your port request with the information you provided to our carrier. Our carriers then submit the port request to the losing carrier (CLEC) for their approval, sometimes they check the info with their reseller (most carriers resell services from a much larger carrier aka CLECs). At that point, the ball is in the losing CLEC's court. You will be notified of its progress/status via email. If the request is rejected, we will provide you with instructions on how to resolve the issue. Once we have received a FOC date, you will again be notified via email. Please keep in mind any changes made to a port request can push the FOC date further out or even create a rejection.
Situations That Can Lead to an Unsuccessful Porting your number to VoIP.ms and How to Overcome Them
For more information in this regard, head to this article that provides all the details.
What happens if my port request gets rejected?
In the event that we receive a rejection from your carrier, we will provide you with the main reason for the rejection and also instructions on how to resolve the issue. You can check the different and most common rejections by clicking on our Wiki Site Port Rejection.
I read that I will receive an SMS to approve the port, can you provide further information about this?
Wireless carriers have established that, in order to port away from them, they will send you an SMS that you will need to reply to with approval within the next 90 minutes of receipt for them to authorize the portability. The SMS is sent only by the losing carrier. If for some reason, you are unable to receive the SMS, you will need to check your options with the losing carrier, as they are the ones that will reject your port if they do not receive your approval. Some carriers might say not to do anything about the SMS if you want to move forward. Note that you must always reply with approval, otherwise they will reject your port, regardless of what they say on the message. If you have further questions, please email us at [email protected]
How can I expedite my port request?
We will always try to obtain the soonest FOC date available; however, delays may occur due to holidays, rejections, etc. Also, carriers (on our side and also on the losing side) have specific processing times we must honor and both the FCC (for the US) and the CRTC (for Canada) mandate that we cannot take a number unless the current provider gives us permission to. In some special cases, we are able to expedite porting orders; however, some carriers may charge for this and it is also a case-by-case situation. Please email us a [email protected] for details about expediting your number.
Will I experience any downtime while my numbers are porting?
On the day of your port, at some point, your number(s) will be triggered in our system. You should not experience any downtime as long as you have set up everything as you need it and properly routed the phone number(s) in your VoIP.ms portal. You will be able to view your number(s) in your VoIP.ms portal prior to the day of port in order to give you time to set everything up. Please contact Support via Live Chat or Ticket if you need help setting up everything before your number ports. However, it is important to also note that some downtime may occur during the porting day as the number(s) is(are) changing provides and routes.
When/How will I know my number(s) has/have ported?
After your number(s) has/have completed porting, we will make test calls to make sure your number(s) is/are working properly. Once we have verified calls are completed on our network, you will be notified via email that the porting was a success. If there are any problems while test calls are being made, we will work with you until the issue has been resolved.
My previous carrier is charging me for porting out and/or asking for a 30-day notice, how can I deal with this? Is it legal?
Unfortunately, we have no control over the fees the losing carrier charges for porting out their numbers. Prior to submitting an order with us, please verify with them if there is any fee involved.
Regarding the 30-day notice, this is usually for Pay-as-you-go services. Since you were not charged for 30 days from the day you started your phone service with your carrier, you are responsible for payment for the 30 days following the cancellation of your account (which, in most cases, occurs due to number porting). This has always been stated in the terms of service of almost every carrier. Some carrier contracts mention that the customer will “Pay for 30 days after the transfer is requested", and not after notice is given (by the customer). The one who requests the transfer is the new carrier. Unfortunately, the CRTC (or FCC) does not regulate phone company policies.
What is the difference between Geographical and National numbers?
Non-geographic numbers or Nationals are not tied to specific locations. Nationals can be directed to any existing landline, mobile or international number. Because they are not restricted to a limited area, Nationals allow businesses to be flexible; they are important for businesses who aim to have a presence across the nation.
What is a RespOrg?
The port for Toll-Free numbers is a bit different from porting local numbers. RespOrg is the communication carrier responsible for managing your Toll-free number(s) and they use the SMS800 system to do so.
What are all of these acronyms: LOA, FOC, BTN, LSP, CSR, LSR, PON?
For a better understanding of the porting process, we provide the following list of the most common terms used in the VoIP LNP Business:
LOA - Letter of Authorization. This is the form we will need to fill out when porting your number(s). This form gives us permission to request, on your behalf, to port your number(s) to a different phone provider.
FOC - Firm Order Confirmation. This is the date on which a phone provider will complete the port of a number(s).
BTN - Billing Telephone Number. This is the main telephone number listed on your account. Depending on what type of account you have, you could have just one BTN or you could have several. When porting numbers to VoIP.ms you want to be sure to ask your current phone provider what the BTN(s) is/are for the number(s) you wish to port.
LSP - Losing Service Provider (aka Losing Carrier). This is the phone provider that your number(s) is/are leaving from.
CSR - Customer Service Record. Every carrier has a record that has your number(s), address, and Billing Telephone Number (BTN)(s). Provides correct porting details for the numbers associated with an account. Please note that the information listed on the CSR may not be the same information listed on the billing portion of your account.
LSR - Local Service Request. This is the actual order request that the losing carrier will receive from the gaining provider. All of the information on this request must match the losing carrier’s (CSR) in order for them to issue a FOC date.
PON – Porting Order Number. This is the confirmation number that is created once the order has been sent to the losing carrier.
CLEC - Competitive Local Exchange Carrier or Upstream carrier. Most carriers are resellers from larger upstream carriers.
TN = Telephone Number.
TF = Toll-Free Number.
EU = End User or Customer. This is you :)
NPA NXX = Number Plan Area, commonly called Area Code. NXX refers to the three digits of a phone number immediately following the area code. In the number (555) 777-0000, the NPA is “555” and the NXX is “777”.
I am being asked for my PIN and IMEI why is that?
When porting a wireless / cell number, some extra information is needed. For US numbers you must provide the PIN/Password on the current account. The PIN stands for Personal Identification Number (PIN) which it's usually a 4-digit number combination. PIN numbers are often used for wireless numbers to avoid the number being ported by accident to another carrier. You may ask the current carrier for the proper PIN to use.
For Canadian Wireless numbers, we will need only your account number; unless the account number and the number porting are the same (meaning it’s a prepaid account); then we will need the IMEI.
Also, for Canadian Wireless numbers, as soon as the losing carrier receives our order, they will send either an SMS or email to the owner regarding approval for the current port. Please note that once you receive this notice, you have 90 minutes to approve the port, otherwise the losing carrier will reject it.
What is the IMEI?
The IMEI is the International Mobile Equipment Identity is a 15-digit number, usually unique, to identify mobile phones, as well as some satellite phones. It is usually found printed inside the battery compartment of the phone. To retrieve the IMEI, enter *#06# and the IMEI will be displayed on your phone.
When porting, I am being asked for information that I have never provided to my current carrier, why is that?
When porting your number you will be asked by our system to provide certain information which is important for our carriers to properly port your number(s). Some carriers may not use nor require the SSN, PIN, Name, Service address, etc when first subscribed with them; however, our carriers do require this information to process the order accordingly. This is the same when Porting Out, some carriers may ask you for information we don't request when opening an account with us.
How do I Port Out my number?
If you have a DID number with VoIP.ms and wish to port it out to another provider, you need to always start this process on the new provider's side. They should advise what information is needed to start this process.
Once your new carrier confirms your number was ported out successfully and it is properly working on their end, please delete it from your account with us; you may do so by log in on your account -> DID Billing-> Delete number. You will also need to please click Yes on the pop-up window when deleting the number. ("Check here if you ported this number to another network"). In some cases, we are also advised that your number was ported out, in which case we will remove it from your account and email you regarding so.
Please open a ticket to our LNP Department or send an email to [email protected] to find out what is the port out information for your number or if you get a rejection.
Can I block a Port Out from a customer of mine?
As per the FCC (for the US) and the CRTC/CCTS (for Canada), the only reason for a Port Out to be rejected is if the information provided by the winning party does not match with what our carriers have on file. As long as the winning provider submits the correct information, a number must be released.
Can I port out a number I have purchased from your portal?
We allow port-out requests for all our numbers. Please note; however, that in the case of numbers purchased from our stock, a port away fee may apply, case by case.
For more information about porting out your number, please email LNP Department at [email protected]
When Porting Out my number the new carrier requests the PIN, what is my PIN?
Please note that numbers that are ported into us or purchased from our portal, are not assigned any passwords/PINs. This could be a system rejection that the gaining carrier provides before sending the LSR to our underlying carrier. If this number is being ported to a wireless provider, they may need to leave the PIN field blank or make up a PIN. If the port still gets rejected, kindly ask the winning carrier for both the PON and the exact reason and email us at [email protected] for us to verify with our carriers.
My current carrier says the number has already been released or the order has not been received on their side yet.
The porting process is dealt with between CLECs and (sometimes) resellers. However, some resellers are not aware of the port, not even when the number has left their side. We have no reason why we should not send an order as long as all the proper information is provided. We will submit the order, most likely, on the same day; however, since our carrier works as well with some other upstream carriers, the order might take some time before reaching the losing party. It is not odd that, if your order was rejected, your current carrier will not see it since most carriers do not save records of rejected orders. Some carriers also say that the number has already been released/ported when in fact it has not. Our system is always monitoring when a number has been released without prior notice, if your number was in fact released, we will be notified about it and we will email you immediately after adding the number to your account, to avoid missing calls.
I need my number to be ported on weekend or on a specific date, can I request this?
LNP Departments are closed on weekends; therefore no numbers can be ported during Saturdays or Sundays, or holidays. Please note that if you need a specific date, this is only available for some US local, US TF numbers, and Canada local numbers. You will need to leave a note in the Step 5 Notes section when filling your porting request and we will ask our carrier if such a date can be met. Please remember that this is not always possible; however, we will do our best to meet it.
My port is now processing or has a FOC date, can I now cancel my number with the losing carrier to avoid any extra charges?
It is important to note that you must wait until the number is fully ported to our system (we will email you regarding so) before you can cancel the account with the old carrier. If the order gets cancelled before the number is fully ported, you might get a rejection or even lose the number. Please be cautious.
Why are purchased numbers cheaper than ported numbers?
This is because porting a number involves different carriers that must be paid for the transfer. Also, it is easier to purchase a number and configure it than to transfer an existing number from another carrier.
My number has been disconnected by my current carrier and I am not receiving any calls, has it been ported?
Please note that the number will always belong to the current provider until we email you regarding its completion. The number must be active at all times during the porting process. Disconnected numbers are not portable. If the losing carrier disconnected the number claiming that it has ported, you must verify if you have received a completion notice from us. If not, you must contact the current carrier and ask them to reactivate the number as soon as possible. Remember that the number is still on their end since it has not been ported. Some carriers may disconnect the number just to stop the port and then activate it again on their side.
My porting process has been completed and I have enabled SMS on my number, why can't I receive messages yet?
The SMS feature can take up to 48 hours (24 hours on average) after the porting process has been completed to become fully active. Please allow this much time before fully testing the SMS functionality on your recently ported in number.
Now that the number has been ported to VoIP.ms, who cancels the old account?
Once we confirm the number has been successfully ported to us, check to see if your account is in fact closed and you are not continuing to be charged by the old carrier. If the account wasn't closed, please contact the losing carrier and ask them to cancel your old account if it's no longer useful to you anymore. This is to avoid any extra charges, as some carriers still show the ported number on their end, even when the number was ported out. Please note that the cancellation can only be done by the customer since he/she is the one paying for the old carrier's services. We can't contact them nor cancel any services/lines with them. Some carriers might say otherwise just to keep on billing you. Please demand the cancellation of the old account if it's no longer useful to you.
Note that neither your account with us nor the number will be affected by this cancellation, since they are now with us.
I currently have a CNAM on my number, when porting will I keep it?
If you have a CNAM with the current carrier when porting your number, it is most likely that the current CNAM is deleted when the transfer is completed, showing some random word such as the number itself, the customer's first or last name, or simply “unknown”. In some special cases, the CNAM is kept as it was.
To avoid this, please verify if your number can have CNAM updated before starting the porting process. If so, after the number is ported, please test your number to verify your CNAM values and if they are not what you wish, contact our Support Staff ( [email protected] ) to have the CNAM updated.
At what point and how can I configure my porting number?
When the FOC is received, your number will be added to our system. From that point, you can configure it and prepare it for the day the port completes. Your number will be reachable from anyone on our network at this time. Remember that if you need further assistance with your configuration, you can always open a ticket to our Support Staff who will gladly help you.
Pro Bonus Tip
A pro tip we can share to avoid disruption when porting numbers is to kindly ask your current carrier to do a temporary forward to VoIP.ms temporary numbers you may purchase on our portal beforehand starting the porting process, this way, you will now miss any calls at all!
