August 2013 - NumberGarage News

NumberGarage™ News

What is a Customer Service Record (CSR)?

When the NumberGarage™ Team submits a port request to a Local Service Provider (LSP) to port a customer’s telephone number there can be conflicts the customer is NOT aware of that may prevent the “port out” of the phone number. For example, an “Address Mismatch” can prevent the release or “port out” of a telephone number. There are service addresses, and billing addresses that are associated with an account.

NumberGarage™ requires the SERVICE ADDRESS, and “NO” a PO BOX will NOT work to successfully port a telephone number. The service address is needed from the carrier who provides service to the phone number. You would have to have a phone serviced inside your United States Post Office Box in order to use the PO BOX as your service address, and that is not possible.

When the customer does not know the correct address (or there are other conflicts with information), and the port request has been rejected multiple times we will request the Customer Service Record (CSR) of their account with their current service provider/telecommunications carrier.

What is a “Customer Service Record (CSR) ?”

Well, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has information on their website regarding this very specific information. Here is a brief “cut and paste” from the FCC.gov website in regard to porting a phone number under the Local Number Portability Act (LNPA):

“LNPA WG [Working Group] Approved Best Practice on Customer Service Record (CSR) Requests:

CSRs are requested for a variety of reasons. In the context of porting, they may be requested to obtain information, e.g., Account Number, Customer Name, Address, etc., in order to accurately complete a Local Service Request (LSR) to initiate the porting process.

There currently is no industry standard on what information the Old Local Service Provider (OLSP) may require from the New Local Service Provider (NLSP) when the NLSP requests a Customer Service Record (CSR).”

Here is the link if you want to read what the LNPA Working Group at the FCC said back in 2011:

http://www.fcc.gov/document/nanc-local-number-portability-administration-working-group-report-best-practice-70

PLEASE NOTE: NumberGarage™ and its parent company (10) digit-inc are not carriers, and are resellers of telecommunications services in the voice over internet protocol (VoIP) area of the telecommunications industry. NumberGarage.com provides the value proposition of keeping a phone number ACTIVE while a person, or persons, business, or businesses are in transition. We can FORWARD calls with NumberGarage™ FORWARD or not forward calls using our NumberGarage™ PARK service feature.

If we ask you for your customer service record (CSR) it is because we need it to port your number, and it will be a document (PDF, MSFT Word, Rich Text, or other format), but it will indeed be a document provided to you from your current service provider. If you can not provide your CSR to us when we ask you for it — well … we will not be able to port your number.

When Area Codes Run Dry

What happens when phone numbers run out in an area code? The area code in our hometown of Nashville, TN is (615). This area code has been used for Middle Tennessee phone numbers since 1954, and the available phone numbers for NEW subscribers will run out in two years or 2015. A NEW area code is needed, and the Tennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA) that decides the fate of what to do is making it difficult on themselves by creating a survey to determine what to do. NumberGarage™ would make the decision that ALL new subscribers receive the NEW area code. Keep reading and see what Option Two is proposing!!!

Option one involves an Overlay. An overlay would permit retention of all current 615 numbers, but require 10-digit dialing for local calls within the 615 area. All new subscribers would receive the new area code.
Option two involves a Split. Under a split, seven-digit dialing of local calls would remain within the area code, but would require approximately half of wireless and landline customers within the current area code to change their telephone numbers.

Here is the official document outlining this proposal.

All of the businesses in the (615) area code that could be faced with having a NEW phone number forced upon them would NOT be happy. It just does not make sense to force a NEW phone number on a business whose identity is their phone number.

The many fax numbers, cell phone numbers, landline numbers, DSL numbers that use phone numbers issued each day to NEW customers should just have the NEW area code given to them.

If you choose to use NumberGarage™ you are doing so because your phone number has VALUE to you, or your business. It is important to receive phone calls (or faxes), and NumberGarage™ was created for you specifically. Well, it was created to protect the ownership of a phone number.

You will know when to NumberGarage™ your phone number and we will be here for you when you are ready.