Port Numbers to Wiretap Telecom

Number Porting Guide

Version 1.0
Revised 2024-06-20

Intended Audience

This article is intended for all Wiretap Telecom portal users.

Quick Start

If you need to get started with a number port right away then watch this short video. It will walk you through the steps needed submit a port-in order, which will bring your numbers from your current carrier (provider) to the Wiretap Telecom network.

Warning!

Watching this video will make you smarter. 🤣

Number Porting Defined

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandated in 1996 that carriers port numbers to and from competing carriers. This opened up the ability for phone numbers in the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) to be ported to the carrier of choice for subscribers. There were, and still are, restrictions within the number portability sector of NANP telecommunications which mostly affect sparsely populated rural areas of the United States. In most cases, however, numbers can be ported to and from carriers at the request of the subscriber. This allows the subscriber (i.e., customer / owner of the number) to avoid losing their number(s) when moving to a new carrier or when the subscriber moves to a area code, etc.

Porting not only affects where a number resides (virtually), but how calls route. It isn’t an overreach to state that number porting is an industry of its own and is extraordinarily complex. Many interconnected entities are involved in the number porting process, such as the winning carrier, losing carrier, the Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC), The North American Numbering Plan Administrator (NANPA), The Number Pooling Administration, The Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG), The Business Integrated Routing and Rating Database (BIRRDS), and many more.

Wiretap Telecom manages the inner-details of the porting process and simplifies the process of number porting for its customers. Simply put, we gather the minimum amount of information from the customer and from there, we administer the port-in order with minimal effort from the customer.

Assumptions and Constraints

It is assumed that the reader of the article already has access to the Wiretap Telecom portal. If you do not have access, please refer to the Wiretap Telecom Portal Sign Up article for assistance.

A Managed Service Provider (MSP) must complete a Porting Agreement with Wiretap Telecom. Please contact us at helpdesk.wiretaptelecom.com if you need assistance.

The Reason For Porting

Porting is essential when a subscriber decides to leave their current provider and wishes to take their numbers with them (i.e., port). When a customer (subscriber) joins Wiretap Telecom they can choose to purchase numbers directly via the portal (see How to Purchase Phone Number), Port numbers, or both. In most cases a new customer already has numbers with another carrier. In order to use those numbers on the Wiretap Telecom network, the customer must port them into Wiretap Telecom.

Submitting a Port

Submitting a port-in order is simple, but requires accurate information to be successful. When you submit a “port-in” order on the Wiretap Telecom portal it means just that, a port where you want the numbers on the port to transfer “in” to Wiretap Telecom. However, from the losing carrier’s vantage point, the activity is a “port-out”, meaning they’re releasing the numbers to Wiretap Telecom.

To submit a port, simply sign on the Wiretap Telecom portal and perform the following steps:

When you sign on you’ll either be taken to the multi-account dashboard or directly into your account. If you’re in the multi-account dashboard, please choose the account you wish to work with first. Once you’re in the account, locate the left section bar titled ACCOUNT MANAGE. Click on Manage Numbers to expand and choose Porting as shown below:

You’ll then be taken to the Ports Management Page. This page will show your current and past ports. To create a new port, simply click the blue plus sign found in the upper-left of the page.

Next, you’ll land on the Portability page. You can add up to 5,000 numbers for a port. Please note when you need to port more than one number you’ll need to use a CSV (comma separated value) format and each number should be 10 digits. See below for an example:

Number Format Alert!

Only use a 10 digit format. For example, exclude parentheses, dashes, pluses and leading ones.

Click the blue Verify button and wait for the system to process your request.

Within a few seconds you’ll see a grid load on the bottom of the page. This will provide you with the following details:

• Number

• Tier

• Current Provider

• Portable?

Please see the Definitions section of this article for a description of the items above.

What if a number shows as NOT Portable?

If this occurs, please continue with the port as usual. We will do everything we can behind the scenes to get your number(s) ported even if they show as not portable. In some cases we can’t port a number and in most of those situations no carrier can port the number. We’ll communicate with you via port-note when/if this occurs.

Next, click the red Create Port-In Order button to proceed to the final step.

Accuracy is Paramount!

Did you know that the losing carrier must approve of any ports sent to them? The losing carrier has an obligation to implement measures to prevent unauthorized port-outs. This being said, Wiretap Telecom must provide sufficient evidence when submitting a port-out request on behalf of the customer. When Wiretap receives a port-in request, we use the information you provide below to submit a port-out request with the losing carrier. The majority of all rejections that we receive from losing carriers is a result of inaccurate and/or incomplete porting information. Inaccurate information can add weeks or even months to a port-in order. Think of it this way, a losing carrier will use the information we provide to them to ensure that we, Wiretap Telecom, are working directly with, and on behalf of, their customer (and our customer). Therefore, the information you provide us is used as a de facto password, which the losing carrier uses to authenticate our port-out request provided to them.

In following section we’ll describe in detail how to complete each item.

Finally, check the box stating that you’re authorized to initiate the port and click the Submit button.

Next, simply monitor your email inbox and/or the port directly via the Wiretap Telecom portal for updates.

Split Ports

When a port-in order is submitted on the Wiretap Telecom portal, the portal will determine if more than one numbers have been included as well as if those numbers currently belong to the same losing carrier. Numbers that are being ported need to be submitted to their respective losing carriers for processing prior to an FOC being issued by Wiretap Telecom. When a customer submits a port-in order the Wiretap Telecom portal will “split” the submitted port into multiple ports if necessary. This only occurs if there is more than one number on the port and one or more of those numbers belong to different losing carriers. When this occurs we’ll submit individual ports to the various carriers involved.

In the event of a split port, the probability of receiving one or more rejections from the losing carriers is relatively high since the same account information is being submitted to more than one carrier where, in most cases, that information only applies to one of the carriers. Wiretap Telecom will attempt to work behind the scenes on behalf of the customer to resolve any anomalies and rejections, but the customer will be notified via port note if/when rejections occur.

Toll Free Ports

There are two significant differences with standard toll ports and toll free ports.

1. Toll free ports exclude an estimated FOC time (date is included).

2. Toll free ports require a “hand signed” LOA.

When submitting a toll free LOA, use the same process as defined in this article. Our automated port-processing system will identify toll free numbers and split if needed. Upon port-in order submission, the customer (submitter) will receive an automated e-mail with an attachment. The attachment (see below) will need to be completed with a hand signed signature. Wiretap Telecom will then submit the hand signed LOA to the losing carrier as proof that the port-in order is valid and authorized.

Important! Your port-in order will be rejected if…

… the authorizing name on the hand signed LOA differs from the authorizer on the losing carrier account. Trust us, losing carriers are extremely critical (as are we) of the authorizing name. The majority of all toll free port-in orders that reject, reject due to an invalid authorization name.

🙄 If a toll free port rejects due to a discrepancy on the hand signed LOA (e.g., authorizing name) the customer will need to complete a new LOA and upload it. This can add days, weeks, or even months to a port-in order.

When a toll free port-in order reaches an FOC status, please note that we have no control over the time of the port. Similarly, unlike that of a standard toll port, the Desired FOC Date has little influence over the actual FOC date. This said, please prepare to have toll free ports FOC on days you didn't request and with an unspecified time (usually in the AM (CST)).

Updating a Port

When accessing a port via the Wiretap Telecom portal, you’ll notice many blue “edit” buttons. These buttons are aligned next to all editable fields in the port. You can click a button at any time during an active port to modify the information. Please note that upon editing any value on a port the following will occur.

1. The port status will go into a Manual Support status.

2. A port note will be generated.

The reason for the status change is due to the manual nature of how a modified port must be handled. Depending on the status, different actions must be performed internally by Wiretap Telecom staff members. Please make an effort to only edit a port-in order when necessary and when the status is either “New”, “Exception” or “Manual Support”. Editing a port-in order that’s in-motion is usually note necessary.

Be careful when modifying an FOC’d port

In most cases there is no need to modify an FOC’d port since it’s in motion and is scheduled to complete without issue. If the event that you wish to modify an FOC’d port date, please note that the losing carrier might cancel their side of the port, which will delay extend the FOC date and overall porting process.

Canceling a Port

There are times when you need to cancel a port. This usually occurs when you decide not to port a number. To cancel a port perform the following:

When you sign on you’ll either be taken to the multi-account dashboard or directly into your account. If you’re in the multi-account dashboard, please choose the account you wish to work with first. Once you’re in the account, locate the left section bar titled ACCOUNT MANAGE. Click on Manage Numbers to expand and choose Porting as shown below:

You’ll then be taken to the Ports Management Page. This page will show your current and past ports. Locate the desired port order and click it. You’ll then be taken into the port where you can manage it. Scroll down and locate the red “Cancel This Port-In Order” button and click it and confirm that you want to cancel the port. After you cancel the port, please note that the port status will change to Manual Support and a port note will be automatically generated. The reason for this is due to the port potentially needing to be canceled with the losing carrier and within NPAC. The following table defines what parties need to be confirm a cancelation before the cancelation can occur.

Porting Fees Apply!

Please know what you’re doing when canceling a port. If a port is in an FOC status when you issue a cancelation any applied porting fees cannot be waived.

We can’t guarantee a cancelation request on an FOC

If you need to cancel an FOC’d port, please be advised that if the FOC is within (or near) a 24 hour port completion window that we might not be able to stop it since there isn’t sufficient time to halt the process. We’ll do our best to get the port-in order canceled for you, but this is typically not possible.

Porting Communication

Porting numbers requires coordination between multiple parties. The following is a simplified diagram of responsible parties involved in a port.

As the diagram above illustrates, there are many communication touchpoints between various parties. In order to properly manage the porting process, Wiretap Telecom has two main communication features, which consists of Port Notes and the Porting Digest. Port Notes are by far the most important communication artifacts used to communicate between Wiretap Telecom and its customer and/or the MSP. Wiretap Telecom port notes are both automated and manual. The porting process will always have many components due to the administrative component to porting and the the lack of industry standards and practices with regards to intra-company automation and communication. That is, Wiretap Telecom uses automation via API with our competitors who offer this technology, but a small LEC in a rural area wouldn’t offer automation or API technologies due to their low volume or their desire to not engage with competition for trading partner agreements.

Port Notes

Port Notes gives the customer and/or the MSP direct access to communicate with Wiretap Telecom. You can ask questions or provide information via port note any time during the porting life cycle. To do this, see below.

When you sign on you’ll either be taken to the multi-account dashboard or directly into your account. If you’re in the multi-account dashboard, please choose the account you wish to work with first. Once you’re in the account, locate the left section bar titled ACCOUNT MANAGE. Click on Manage Numbers to expand and choose Porting as shown below:

You’ll then be taken to the Ports Management Page. This page will show your current and past ports. Locate the desired port order and click it. You’ll then be taken into the port where you can manage it. Scroll down and locate the port note section as illustrated below:

Type in your note and click the Post Note button. When you submit a port note our team receives the note immediately in our internal communications system.

Why is a port note better than a helpdesk ticket?

When you create a port note the information is directed to our internal porting channels. Not only does this reduce our response time, but our porting system automatically reminds our team multiple times per day that a port note exists that needs our attention.

When Wiretap Telecom responds to a port note the following recipients will receive the note via email:

• The account Portal Administrator

• The account Primary Technical Contact

• The account Secondary Technical Contact

• The creator of the port-in order

Did you know about the Port Note Suffix?

When Wiretap Telecom sends a port note, you’ll notice your direct call-to-action by looking for the “—USER ACTION—:” part of the note. This provides you with the specific instructions on what you need to do, if anything.

Porting Digest

Everyone gets busy and sometimes a customer or MSP simply runs out of time to properly manage their ports. We understand and, therefore, Wiretap Telecom will automatically send you your weekly porting digest every Tuesday morning as a courtesy. The following recipients receive the weekly porting digest:

• The account Portal Administrator

• The account Primary Technical Contact

• The account Secondary Technical Contact

• The creator of the port-in order

Porting Lifecycle

There is an inherent and fixed porting lifecycle, which includes manual and automated work flows. Much of what makes a port-in order successful consists of status management. For instance, a New port needs action from Wiretap Telecom whereas an Exception port needs action from the customer and/or MSP. This said, porting can become very confusing. Status management reduces the intrinsic complexity of the overall porting process. The following sections define each porting status and how each status contributes to the porting lifecycle.

New

All newly created ports reach the status of New automatically. A new port will be processed by Wiretap Telecom in one of two ways:

• Automatically - This requires the successful alignment of many items, such as the numbers being ported, the losing carrier, and the quality of the user-entered information on the port. When this occurs the port will be promoted to the status of Submitted quickly.

• Manual - Manually working a port-in order is common. This typically occurs when we’re porting from a non-automated losing carrier, or for any number of reasons. For instance, a port-in order might be created by the end-user/MSP, but some information is missing, such as the losing carrier account number, which is not required when submitting a port. This said, we will attempt to get the port FOC’d by using our internal CSR generator, or by using a porting number, which depends on the losing carrier as well as our relationship with that carrier. Once we get a port-in order moving we’ll manually promote the port to Submitted.

  Port management is clearly complex, and manually getting a port-in order off the ground can be a daunting task. We take pride in making this process as seamless as possible for our MSP’s and end-users.

The workflow progression of a port-in order with a status of New is illustrated below. Note, this illustration excludes a cancellation request.

Dash lines represent a non-traditional, but valid promotion/demotion path

Submitted

A port in a Submitted status is a port that has been submitted to the losing carrier for review, acceptance, and processing. The losing carrier will respond to the port order within a few minutes, hours, or days depending on the complexity of the port as well as other factors (i.e., if the losing carrier is automated, has a porting agreement with Wiretap Telecom, etc.). Basically, a port in a Submitted status requires no user interaction from the MSP, end-user, or Wiretap Telecom. That is, a submitted port is in the hands of the losing carrier and all other parties are waiting for their response, which is to either reject the port, or issue an FOC. When this occurs Wiretap Telecom will either promote the port-in order to an FOC or demote it to Exception.

The workflow progression of a port-in order with a status of Submitted is illustrated below. Note, this illustration excludes a cancellation request.

Dash lines represent a the rotational nature of what occurs when ports cycle between Submitted and Exception status’s.

Exception

The goal of any port-in order is to avoid the dreaded Exception 😡  status. When Wiretap Telecom receives a rejection response for a port-in order from the losing carrier, the port-in order will be demoted to Exception. From here, the port-in order can move between Exception, Manual Support, Submitted, and eventually FOC. Wiretap Telecom will also demote a port-in order to Exception prior to losing carrier submission if we determine that the port-in order lacks sufficient information and/or has erroneous information. When a port-in order is demoted to an Exception the end-user and/or MSP must review the port note, which should clearly explain the reason for the exception and act on it. Wiretap Telecom will await a response from the end-user or MSP via port note before proceeding further.

The following is an incomplete list of common reasons why a losing carrier will reject a port-in order:

Your port-in order will be in Exception “jail” 👮‍♂️  forever without your assistance

Wiretap Telecom cannot resolve issues on an Exception port without your help, so your response is required or the port will eventually expire.

The workflow progression of a port-in order with a status of Exception is illustrated below. Note, this illustration excludes a cancellation request.

Dash lines represent a the rotational nature of what occurs when ports cycle between Submitted and Exception status’s.

Manual Support

A port-in order that reaches a Manual Support status needs, as you guessed, manual support. This is an interim status in that the port-in order isn’t in bad shape (i.e., Exception), but simply needs some manual attention in order for it to get moving again. For example, if a toll free port is created and we’re waiting for the hand-signed LOA the port will be placed into Manual Support. Furthermore, when an end-user or MSP edits a port attribute the port will be moved to Manual Support. There are three primary events that trigger a Manual Support status:

• A toll free port is created and a toll free hand signed LOA has not been uploaded

• Wiretap Telecom staff move the status to Manual Support to indicate the port-in order is no longer in motion, but has not yet reached an Exception status.

• An end-user or MSP edits one or more port-in order attributes (e.g., an address update, a PIN update, etc.).

Read Our Port Notes 😋

A port-in order with a Manual Support status requires either Wiretap Telecom, and MSP, or the end-user to resolve. Look for the user-action on any port notes!

The workflow progression of a port-in order with a status of Manual Support is illustrated below. Note, this illustration excludes a cancellation request.

FOC (Firm Order of Commitment)

The goal of a port-in order is to get the port into a Complete status. The only way to achieve this goal is via FOC. Wiretap Telecom will promote a port with a Submitted status to an FOC after the losing carrier has agreed to release the numbers listed on the port to Wiretap Telecom. When a port-in order reaches a status of FOC the following occurs:

• The losing carrier and Wiretap Telecom agree on a release date and time

• A port note is issued containing the status upgrade as well as the FOC Date and Time

• The status of the port-in order is upgraded to FOC.

• All numbers on the port-in order are pre-initialized to the Wiretap Telecom network

  • Note: This occurs as a convenience to the end-user/MSP so attributes such as caller-id, cnam-dip, etc. can be provisioned prior to the port-in order completing. Your numbers are not active on the Wiretap Telecom network until the port completes.

• All numbers are provisioned to the assigned trunk if one was assigned at the time the port was submitted.

• The account is billed for any pending porting charges.

Don’t forget about these items!

1. Make sure you assigned, or will assign, a trunk to your FOC’d numbers before the port completes.

2. Don’t forget to assign caller-id’s, Dips, and E-911 to your FOC’d numbers.

3. Don’t forget to build inbound routes on your PBX

If using our ATA Fax Gateway services - notify us at FOC for assistance in provisioning.

The workflow progression of a port-in order with a status of FOC is illustrated below. Note, this illustration excludes a cancellation request.

Complete

Ah, We’ve Made it!

This is the coveted port-in order status.

A port that completes is just that, complete! If you managed your steps prior to and during the FOC status of the port-in order then there shouldn’t be anything that you need to do at this point. If you find that this isn’t true then we recommend that you read the Porting Strategies in this article. At this point all numbers on your port-in order should be fully functional on the Wiretap Telecom network.

The workflow progression of a port-in order with a status of Complete is illustrated below. Note, this illustration excludes a cancellation request.

Porting Strategies

It is imperative that the MSP and/or end-user properly plan for a port. In essence, porting numbers can be defined as a phone number migration. This said, a pitching and catching (i.e., making and receiving calls respectively) technology must be ready when the numbers port. The amount of planning is relative to the complexity of the port. That is, a new phone system with new phone hardware, network equipment, and internet service providers might be part of the project. On the lighter side, there are number ports where simple PBX adjustments are needed.

Planning

As the introduction of this section mentions, you must build a number migration strategy. The following is a brief list of items to attend to:

• Building trunks on the Wiretap Telecom portal.

• Purchasing temporary test numbers on the Wiretap Telecom portal.

• Building inbound routes on your PBX

• Adding Wiretap Telecom trunks to your PBX

• Building PBX call behavior (out of scope for this article)

• Installing phone hardware and network equipment

• Coordinating the number migration (i.e., port) date with the end-user

You say, “Hold on, it’s not that simple!” 🛑

We understand that the above is a very limited set of items to tend to when it comes to a full scale telephone implementation. We’re just setting up a segue to tell you about our DID Transformation technology😛, which is found below.

Portal Pre-Port Limitations

When porting numbers into Wiretap Telecom, you might experience a few minor limitations on the Wiretap Telecom portal prior to the port-in order being completed. The following section enumerates these limitations. Remember that your numbers are not available on the Wiretap Telecom portal until an FOC is reached, so this section is based on a port-in order being in an FOC status.

All Features are a GO!

Once your port completes all features are instantly available.

DID Transformation (Route As Number)

The Wiretap Telecom DID Transformation technology is a feature that allows for number obfuscation for the receiving phone system. When a phone system (i.e., PBX) receives a call, it must determine the routing options based on the inbound number. This said, the MSP or the individuals responsible for managing the phone system need to create inbound routes prior to a number porting. For instance, if 100 employees have their own unique number then in most cases 100 inbound routes would need to be created so the PBX knows what extension, voicemail, IVR, etc. needs to activate upon receiving a call to the number. This can be a very time consuming and daunting task, but alas, this is necessary.

Wiretap Telecom helps make this process easier during the pre-port process. With our “Route As Number” feature, our services will route any number you desire to a number, which can be a pre-port number (FOC’d). For example:

Using the above scenario with 100 employees and 100 individual numbers, the MSP will need to create 100 inbound routes prior to the port-in order completing. As part of porting strategy the MSP purchases 100 temporary numbers on the Wiretap Telecom portal. The MSP then creates an additional 100 inbound routes for the temporary numbers. The PBX now has 200 inbound routes with 100 being permanent routes and 100 being temporary routes. The MSP then calls the losing carrier and has them forward all permanent numbers to the temporary numbers. This allows the PBX to start receiving calls prior to the port completing.

You can see how useful this strategy can be. This allows the MSP to rollout a new phone system and equipment prior to a port-in order completing, but what about those 100 temporary inbound routes?

Say goodbye to those temporary inbound routes!

With our DID Transformation technology, which is called “Route As Number” on the portal, you can route your temporary numbers to your PBX as your permanent numbers. This way, all you do is build your permanent inbound routes and never again spend time creating temporary inbound routes.

Once your port-in order completes the DID Transformation process will automatically stop since your temporary numbers will no longer be receiving calls. This makes a PBX installation and pre-port-in projects much simpler to manage and allows a "go-live” prior to the actual porting process completes. To do this, follow the instructions below:

When you sign on you’ll either be taken to the multi-account dashboard or directly into your account. If you’re in the multi-account dashboard, please choose the account you wish to work with first. Once you’re in the account, locate the left section bar titled TRUNKING. Click on Manage Trunks to expand and choose Trunk Numbers as shown below:

You’ll then be taken to the Trunk Number Management. This page will how your phone numbers are associated with your trunks. Locate the desired number (for this example, this would be a temporary number) and click it and then click the Edit button. You’ll then be taken into the update window as shown below:

Choose the “Route as Number” option and then type in the permanent number you want the temporary number to route as. It’s that simple!

Did you Know? You can Mass Update!

You can mass update by multi-selecting numbers on the grid. Use the CTRL—>Click from your keyboard and mouse to accomplish this.

Definitions

• Winning Carrier - The carrier receiving the numbers after the port-in order completes. For the purpose of this article, Wiretap Telecom is the Winning Carrier.

• Losing Carrier - The carrier releasing the numbers after the port-in order completes.

• Tier - This is the pricing associated with a phone number. A tier relates to inbound calling rates only and outbound rates are not affected.

• Number - Same as DID (Direct Inward Dial). This is not a Caller-ID, but rather it’s the number being called.

• Current Provider - The service provider responsible for routing your calls.

• Customer Service Record (CSR) - A document provided by a losing carrier or current carrier to the subscriber (customer) which contains account related information such as:

  • Account Name

  • Account Number

  • Billing Telephone Number (BTN)

  • Address

  • Phone Numbers

  • Phone Number PINS

• BTN/ATN - A main number associated with an account. This is sometimes referred to as a Billing Telephone Number (BTN) or an Account Telephone Number (ATN). Legacy carriers are strict with regards to what a BTN/ATN is while modern carriers have brought the term over more of a formality and with little technology supporting these values.

• New BTN - This is a reference to a phone number on an account replacing an existing BTN on the account. This is useful when a customer is porting out a number which is also their BTN. In order to keep any remaining numbers active on the losing carrier account (numbers not being ported out) a new BTN must be swapped with the current one.

• Partial Port - A partial port is when the customer is only porting out some, but not all numbers from the losing carrier account.

• PIN (Port-Out PIN) - A port out PIN is an optional, usually numeric, value that the customer provides, or the carrier assigns, to numbers to help prevent numbers from porting to another carrier without authorization.

• LOA (Letter of Authorization): Sometimes referred to as a “Letter of Agency” - This is a formal document providing the new provider with authority to act on behalf of the customer for porting related purposes. An LOA can be electronically granted or by hand signed LOA’s.

• ID (Port ID / PON) - A unique number assigned to a port-in / port-out order by the carrier. A port order number (PON) is shared between winning and losing carriers so that order can be accurately referenced.

• Snapback - Occurs when a subscriber requests for newly ported (within 24 hours) numbers to be reversed back to the losing carrier. This is a rare scenario and can be costly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

As intended, this article is a comprehensive Number Porting Guide which should assist you in your porting journey. There are many features, technologies, policies and procedures involved with the porting process and this article only covered those areas which are more relevant to the end user and MSP. We hope you found this guide useful and as always, we’re always here to help!