Can't port landline phone number

[jcob]

Hello, I just found out that I cannot port my existing landline phone number over to Ooma. I've had the number for a long time so this is a problem. I happened to see some information about porting to tmobile prepaid and then porting from there to Ooma. I already use TMobile as my cell phone carrier, I have an account with them. Don't think I can purchase a prepaid phone/plan when I already use them for my cell phone service. Anyway, can someone please let me know any way that I can get around the problem I have with porting my old phone number? Please be specific and give me an information that might make it possible. Right now i'm not sure i'm going to keep Ooma due to this problem. I've had my other number so long and so many people have it. It would be a major pain to try and notify everyone of a new number. Any help will be greatly appreciated. I'd hate to give up the savings that i'd get with Ooma so I really want to try and get this done.
Thanks.

[EX Bell]

I can't answer if TMobile to Ooma would work, but if it doesn't, then what about porting your number to TMobile and then to Google Voice? You could then use Google Voice Extensions with Ooma, if you're willing to always pay for the Premier service.

[Telo_BK]

I don't know if this will help, but you might have a look:
http://www.fcc.gov/guides/portability-k ... -providers

It might help others if you'd tell us why T-Mobile won't port.

Hopefully you can get your number ported despite T-Mobile's protestations. There's no technological reason they can't do it.

[lbmofo]

Hello, I just found out that I cannot port my existing landline phone number over to Ooma.

Ex Bell suggestion is good. The reason you can't port your number into Ooma as of now (could change later) is that Ooma doesn't have any agreement with carriers that service your area (rate center). If you do port your number out from landline to Tmobile, before porting over to Google Voice, I would check with Ooma to see if that same number would be portable from Tmobile to Ooma.

[Telo_BK]

In case you didn't see the link (from FCC):

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. If you are moving from one geographic area to another, however, you may not be able to take your number with you. Therefore, subscribers remaining in the same geographic area can switch from a wireless, wireline, or VoIP provider to any other wireless, wireline or VoIP provider and still keep their existing phone numbers.

[lbmofo]

jcob can't port his landline number to Ooma not because his current provider is not letting go the number but because Ooma can not port it in. The FCC does not force providers to render service everywhere in the US. Most companies have numbers that they can not port in. AT&T Wireless, Verizon Wireless, Vonage, Comcast, Cox...you name it.
I am sure Ooma would like to provide service where jcob is at but they probably don't have a partner carrier servicing the area. This may change but that's the situation right now. jcob can however get a number from ooma (not the same rate center) and use Ooma that way. In case one is to pick a number from Ooma, one can check if the number is local (not long distance) to friends/family; here is the post about "How to pick a local Ooma number."

[Telo_BK]

Some local exchange carriers (LECs) apparently tried to make it egregiously difficult, and attempted to litigate their porting terms with the FCC.

Paragraph 15 of the linked document (see below) describes some of the techniques they used. Paragraph 25 says the following (in part):

As noted above, section 251(b)(2) of the Act requires LECs to provide number portability in accordance with the
requirements prescribed by the Commission to the extent technically feasible.81 Further, section 251(e)(2)
requires all carriers to bear the costs of numbering administration and number portability on a
competitively neutral basis as defined by the Commission, and thereby seeks to prevent those costs from
undermining competition.82 The Commission has interpreted section 251(e)(2) broadly to extend to all
carriers that utilize NANP [North American Numbering Plan- US and Canada] telephone numbers and benefit from number portability.83

Though the URL says "recent", this rule-making is from 2007. So again, but more clearly, my question is: "Is T-Mobile saying that this isn't technically feasible"? Is Ooma saying that? On what basis do they claim exemption from the law in your case?"

[lbmofo]

Telo_BK, this is not a technical issue with Ooma. Ooma does not service some rate centers. Therefore, can not port the numbers in said rate centers into Ooma. The losing carrier (in most cases) has to make the number available for porting to those service providers that are able to port the number in (this is the meat of the FCC mandate); currently, Ooma is not one of them for jcob's number (FCC does not mandate every carrier to be able to port in every number; just that they make their numbers available to port out).

BTW, changing gears on you...there are still some carriers that are exempt from number portability (mom & pop outfits and rural carriers are some examples); those exempt carriers do not have to make their numbers available for porting.

[jcob]

Yes Ibmofo, I think you are exactly right. Unfortunately it seems i'm stuck with either accepting a new number or just staying with my old carrier. As much as I hate to have to do it i'm probably going to take a new number. It's hard to give up the savings i'll get using Ooma.

[lbmofo]

If you want to keep your old number in the meantime, you can go the route of Google Voice and at least park your number there for free until Ooma can take in your number.