Phone Number Porting
Bandwidth has created a truly superior porting experience. Our dashboard, number porting APIs, and highly-trained porting specialists make moving phone numbers easier than ever. We call it Happy Porting.
Number porting can be one of the most painstaking parts of managing voice and messaging services: a perfect storm of differing carrier requirements, red tape, and lack of support. That's why we've combined our status as both a cutting edge CPaaS provider and carrier to reinvent how number porting works.
Port up to 20,000 numbers from an unlimited amount of losing carriers in a single batch. No more duplicative work.
Select your port date and time (down to the second) and apply it across your entire bank of numbers with a single click.
Drag and drop individual port orders out of a bulk port. Different markets (or offices) with different needs are easy to manage.
Proactively select a new billing telephone number when you need to port your main line, reducing rejection time by up to 3 days.
Integrate Bandwidth porting into your own platform or internal tools with our robust phone number porting API.
Our specialized, highly-trained porting team is dedicated to making sure your port goes smoothly—and they’re really good at it. Want proof? We’ve ported toll-free numbers for a market-leading conferencing provider that was carrying live conferencing traffic (we’re talking thousands of concurrent calls) at the time of port, and didn’t miss a beat.
Because we’re a carrier ourselves, we have strong relationships with the other Tier 1 carriers, allowing for speedier, simpler number ports. And we can make our own carrier services team accessible to you for things like port outs, disputed ports, and carrier relations if the need arises.
Happier Porting Means Happier:
Migrate your communications to the cloud with absolutely no downtime.
Consolidate platforms with the control and flexibility you need to keep day-to-day operations running smoothly.
Set up and tear down workstations nimbly–so your business can keep up with your people, and new employees can hit the ground running.
Porting doesn’t have to be clunky, spreadsheet-dependent, or agonizingly slow. Talk to a porting expert today to experience Bandwidth’s Happy Number Porting.
Request a demo Talk to an expertNumber porting is the process of transferring an active phone number from one service provider to another provider. This allows you (or your customer) to keep an existing phone number when changing service providers. You can port phone numbers between wireline, IP, and wireless providers.
Switching telecom providers used to be a real hassle. It meant getting a new phone number, which was often more trouble than it was worth.
Porting gives you the freedom to switch to the cloud or a better provider without having to worry about that. Your number doesn’t even change, which means anyone who has your number can still reach you easily, even if you’re switching to a system with better functionality.
To submit a port order at Bandwidth, you’ll need access to the Bandwidth Dashboard.
From there, you can select Numbers, and then Port. You then enter the phone numbers you’d like to port, check their portability status, and if they are cleared, all you have left to do is hit “port request” and you’re good to go! You can bulk port upwards of thousands of numbers at a time.
Porting is when you permanently change your phone number by moving it to another provider.
Forwarding means your number keeps its old account association, but is instead forwarded to another number or person.
Think setting up a forwarding mailbox versus replacing your old mailbox with something newer, but it’s kept in the same location.
Simply put, it depends. There are different types of ports and each type has its own estimated time frame for completion:
Note: Please keep in mind that because Bandwidth can’t predict any errors in processing, or the behaviors of other carriers, all quoted times above are Bandwidth’s goal to get the order completed, and can’t be guaranteed for all cases. Read all about Bandwidth’s detailed porting process on our support page.
Number portability is required to be performed in accordance with rules and procedures established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). According to the FCC, once you request service from a new provider, your old provider cannot refuse to port your number. However, within the structure of the FCC requirements, carriers may have different systems and processes for handling porting activity. Thus, while carriers’ LNP operations are largely similar and intended to accomplish the same end results, there are unique differences in processes and procedures from one to the next.
There is one important distinction between “refusal” and “rejection” for port requests. Carriers cannot refuse to port a number, but there are common port rejections that indicate the information submitted doesn’t match what a losing carrier has on file. Port rejections can significantly delay the time frame for port completion.
You can port local numbers and toll-free numbers using the dashboard and API. Short code migrations can be requested through our support team. Bandwidth complies with all applicable FCC standards, requirements, and recommendations for number porting. Each porting type has a slightly different process, which is outlined in the Bandwidth Porting Guide.
You can port up to 20,000 phone numbers at one time through our “check portability” page, from an unlimited number of losing carriers. Each order has a limit of 5,000 phone numbers per losing carrier.
Each service provider may charge you to port numbers, depending on your unique contract terms and conditions. Considering a switch to Bandwidth? Talk with your sales representative about your porting needs.
To ensure a port is authorized, Bandwidth relies on its customers to provide accurate Customer Service Record (CSR) information which includes the service address and end-user information on file with the current carrier. In addition, Bandwidth asks customers to provide a Letter of Authorization (LOA).
Bandwidth offers a real-time number portability checker through the Bandwidth Dashboard. You’ll enter the number (or all of your numbers via bulk upload or API), and with the click a button and we’ll show you which numbers are portable. This is a critical tool to help you (and your customers) know ahead of time which numbers are portable. If a number returns as “not portable” there are several possible reasons why, but as long as Bandwidth has coverage in for that number, the best step toward resolution is to contact your existing carrier to ask why the number(s) are not portable.
Yes. In general, numbers can be ported to VoIP services. Confirm with your current provider and the service you’d like to switch to before making any final decisions.
No. Disconnected or inactive numbers cannot be ported, therefore disconnecting service with your existing carrier should only be performed once you’ve successfully ported numbers to Bandwidth.
No, you will not experience missed calls during your porting process. As long as you do not cancel services with your existing provider before your number ports, the number will remain active with the losing carrier right up to the second that your number transfers to Bandwidth. We rely on a scheduled activation date & time called the Firm Order Commitment (FOC) date to perform this coordinated, instant transfer.
In your Bandwidth dashboard, you will be able to see progress updates for your port orders. You can also subscribe to receive e-mail notifications to stay updated on a port order.
