Us Telephone Number Ownership

[sirspdif 0]

The ability to own a domain (eg.com) and an IP (12.13.14.15) exists- you can reserve one for over ten years at a time.In the US, some new laws exist allowing the right of telephone number ownership for cell phone accounts ( the right to transfer "your" number).But, what knowledge path exists allowing similar domain, and IP ownership security for US telephone numbers?Eg. 1.) I'm a home owner. I'd like to get a number first ( reserve ownership for 3+ years or so), then consider voip, or landline, google phone, etc later.Eg. 2.) I'm a business owner who would like to do the same thing. I don't even want to have to worry about the possibility of loosing my phone number.

Edited April 24, 2013 by sirspdif (see edit history)

[sirspdif 0]

The only form of phone number ownership in the US is through leasing.

Telephone companies and exchanges don't actually "own" telephone numbers - the number blocks are "assigned" by NANPA.

Leasing can occur through local phone companies.That doesn't always mean they are the current owner of your number.

NANPA provides a Utilized Codes Report(area code, and prefix ownership), however I'm not sure how up to date they are.

US laws governed by the FCC provide rights garauntee through the Local Number Portability act (for both landline and cellphone).

 

Under the Federal Communications Commission’s “local number portability” (LNP) rules, so long as you remain in the same geographic area, you can switch telephone service providers, including interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, and keep your existing phone number.

Once you request service from the new company, your old company may not refuse to port your number, even if you owe money for an outstanding balance or termination fee.

You may request service from a new company at any time.

[comp2 1]

Just in case you are interested there are a few services that allow you to "hold" a phone number until you reach your new carrier. I use a company to hold my number while I was out of the country for a year. Didn't really cost too much. It was cheaper than paying for a plan than whole time I was gone.

Edited April 29, 2013 by comp2 (see edit history)

[sheepdog 10]

Wow sirspdif that was a really good explaination. I'd believe you worked for the phone company with that good of an explaination and great details.

 

Really a person should be able to keep their phone number no matter what telephone service they use. Especially in the case of business, like mine which has been in operation with the same phone number for probably close to 30 years. You never know when a past customer might like to get in contact with you. They thre is all the money you spend on advertising and having your phone number put on business cards and other forms of advertising. It would be a disaster for me if I had to change my number.

[rpgsearcherz 5]

Wow sirspdif that was a really good explaination. I'd believe you worked for the phone company with that good of an explaination and great details.

 

Really a person should be able to keep their phone number no matter what telephone service they use. Especially in the case of business, like mine which has been in operation with the same phone number for probably close to 30 years. You never know when a past customer might like to get in contact with you. They thre is all the money you spend on advertising and having your phone number put on business cards and other forms of advertising. It would be a disaster for me if I had to change my number.

 

This is true, and I'd say it stretches to personal numbers just as well. There are people who have used the same number all their lives, then move or go living out on the road. In situations like this (changing carriers or even going landline to cell), it's still important for family/friends to be able to contact them. Especially if it's their only form of contact.

[sheepdog 10]

I agree completely. A person should be able to keep their own phone number. I could see where it would get confusing though when people moved out of an area into another one, and they still had the same telephone number that showed them by the number to live in a different area. If you were trying to call someone you would have no way of knowing what part of the country, or world for that matter where you were calling. If it happened to be out of the country, you might get stuck with one heck of a phone bill threw no fautl of your own. I unknowingly called Alaska one time, holy molly, I had a $9 call cost for just a couple minutes that would of been about 50 cents at that time if I'd called anywhere else in the USA.

[rpgsearcherz 5]

I agree completely. A person should be able to keep their own phone number. I could see where it would get confusing though when people moved out of an area into another one, and they still had the same telephone number that showed them by the number to live in a different area. If you were trying to call someone you would have no way of knowing what part of the country, or world for that matter where you were calling. If it happened to be out of the country, you might get stuck with one heck of a phone bill threw no fautl of your own. I unknowingly called Alaska one time, holy molly, I had a $9 call cost for just a couple minutes that would of been about 50 cents at that time if I'd called anywhere else in the USA.

 

Most service providers offer free long distance now though, even on landlines. So in that case the area code shouldn't matter too much, and instead only the country code would matter (which in the US we can ignore anyways).

 

I know with VOIP you can carry your number wherever you go. For example, my grandparents still have their phone number from another state (and use the out-of-state area code).