The No-Worry Guide to VoIP Number Porting

If you’re considering porting your landline number to VoIP, or your current VoIP number to a new service provider — and you have never done it before — you’re right to be cautious.

It’s not difficult, but there are some odd formalities that can mix people up if they are unfamiliar with VoIP number porting.

The best thing to do is follow every step of the well-documented, highly-regulated process. By following the very specific order of operations, you can port your VoIP number successfully to a business phone service that better suits your needs..

We’ll provide a detailed guide so that you can do this correctly without panicking, even if you have a ton of phone numbers to port, including 800-numbers or vanity numbers.

How to port a landline number to VoIP

Porting a number simply means transferring it to a new service. You can switch from a landline to VoIP phone service and keep your existing phone number. Many people decide to do this because of VoIP services’ flexibility and low costs.

If you’re open to switching your landline to VoIP, it’s a good idea to get in touch with both your current and future service providers. Your current provider will need to release your phone number, and your new provider will request it.

Let’s get started with the steps you’ll need to follow:

1. Notify your current service provider: This step is very important because they’ll generate a port PIN for you, or tell you how to obtain one, usually on a website. The port PIN, also known as port-out PIN, ensures no one else uses your phone number while you migrate. There are entire online communities squatting on expired website domains, and you wouldn’t want to be victim to a similar group that instead takes on your old, well-known phone number. Will you be able to port if you don’t notify your current provider? Since your new carrier wants the business, they could sort this step out for you, but you can expect a slower process.
2. Select a new VoIP service provider: Pick a VoIP service provider that fits your needs and your wallet. Check out this post on how much VoIP should cost and make sure they can port all the numbers you want. Should you cancel your current contract by now? Absolutely not. Wait until your new provider is set up.
3. Contact your new VoIP provider: Contact your new VoIP provider and tell them you want to start porting your number with them.
4. Provide the required information: To make the porting process go smoothly, you’ll need to give some information to the new VoIP provider. They’ll probably ask for things like your current phone number, your current provider’s account details, and payment information, provided you haven’t first registered on a landing page.
5. Fill out a Letter of Authorization (LOA): You will need to sign an LOA, which stands for Letter of Authorization (or Letter of Agency, in some cases). This document gives your new VoIP provider permission to port your phone number from your old provider. VoIP companies want business, so they usually take care of the LOA for you and just email you a form you can e-sign. If they request you to send it over, ask them what info you should include. Since LOAs require your signature, they act as proof that it’s you who’s requesting the change. It’s also a legal record of to whom and when you requested a port. If you’re unfortunate enough to be surprise-delivered with a new number, the LOA will work to your advantage when you file a complaint. It’s a convenient way to protect your interests.
6. Expect to wait: Porting your number typically takes a few days, but it can sometimes take up to two weeks. A carrier must submit a preferred carrier change request on behalf of a subscriber within 60 days of obtaining a Letter of Authorization, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This does not mean they should migrate in two months, but they’re at least compelled to start the process by then. Be ready for a short break in service while things get switched over, but your new VoIP service will soon be up and running. To avoid delay, make sure you give both your old and new service providers the correct information on the LOA. Mistakes in your details could cause the porting process to take longer.
7. Minimize potential issues: To avoid any hiccups during the porting process, double-check that all the information you give is accurate and matches what your current provider has on file. Also, keep in touch with both providers often. It’s better to be overinformed than under.
8. Cancel with your old provider: Cancel your legacy landline provider once you’re confident your number is working on VoIP.

If you are uncertain about what to look for in a new provider or about this technology in general, check out my post about all the things you should know about VoIP before signing a contract.

Additional tips for VoIP number porting

This shouldn’t be a hard process. Your new provider is going to do what they can to make it easy to switch — they want your money — but here are a few things you can do to make sure the process goes smooth:

• Start the porting process at least two weeks before your desired switch date. At least two weeks — it is not bad to be even further ahead. This will give your old and new providers enough time to complete the process and minimize any downtime.
• Have your account information from your old service provider ready when you contact your new provider to initiate the porting process. This will help to speed up the process.
• Keep a copy of your LOA for your records.
• Be aware that there may be a fee associated with porting your number. Your old service provider typically charges this fee.

If you’re not sent an LOA template, and you need to write one up, you should include:

• Your name and current phone number.
• The name of your new service provider, since your new provider will use this letter on your behalf.
• The name of your old service provider and, most probably, the port PIN.
• Your account number with the old service provider, if you had one. Many carriers use an email or phone number as your account number these days.
• Besides the LOA, you might be requested with a bill from your current carrier and your ID, so have both at hand.

How to port a VoIP number to a new provider

The process of porting a VoIP number to a new provider is fairly similar to the landline-to-VoIP migration process.

These are the steps you should take to port your VoIP number to a new provider successfully:

• Research and choose a new provider: Do some research to choose the best VoIP service provider for you. Don’t forget to pick a provider that can and will port your number. If you decide on a provider that offers low-cost solutions but won’t allow you to use that phone number without them, you may set yourself up for a future headache.
• Contact both your old and new provider: Many VoIP providers don’t offer a port-out PIN, but you should still connect with them to tell them you’re off their service. Some providers offer a Support email address for this. You can connect with your new provider immediately after.
• Prepare your information: Have everything you need ready when getting in touch with your new provider. Gather your current VoIP account details, including your account number and PIN, if you had one. Your new provider may also require a LOA.
• Complete paperwork: Fill out any necessary paperwork provided by your new provider. Be sure to double-check the accuracy of the information. It’s better to double-check than to start all over again because of a small error.
• Await confirmation: You’ll get a message from your new provider when the porting process is all done. How long it takes can vary, from a few business days to a few weeks. The FCC has a category known as “simple ports.” If you fall under this class, your provider is expected to complete the porting process in a single day.
• Test your new service: Once your number has been successfully transferred, give your new VoIP service a little test drive to make sure it’s working just the way you want it to. Go ahead and make some calls and check if everything’s working as it should.
• End the contract with your old provider: Cancel your current provider only once you have already initiated the porting process with the new one. Be prepared to provide your porting request and confirm the cancellation date.

Don’t worry if porting your VoIP number seems a bit tricky at first. With the right info and a little help, it’s totally doable. Your new provider wants the business, so try to rely on them as much as possible. You could ask them for an electronic LOA you can just punch your name on.

What prevents people from VoIP number porting

When it comes to moving your VoIP number, there are rules in place to make sure that most of the time, carriers have to comply with your request. The FCC has very specific rules so that carriers can’t simply refuse your porting request. So, yes — if things went by the book, the “no porting available” situation shouldn’t exist.

But like in any rule book, there are a few exceptions where you might run into some bumps trying to port your VoIP number, including:

• Contractual obligations: If you already have a contract with your current provider, you might have to pay extra fees or follow certain rules if you want to move your number to a new service. Before you start the porting process, look at your contract to see what you need to do.
• Account balance: Before you port your number, make sure to pay off any outstanding balances with your current VoIP provider. Carriers may not release your number for porting until you’re paid up.
• Incomplete information: Missing or incorrect information can delay or even prevent your number from being ported. Make sure you have your account information from your old service provider ready when you contact your new provider to initiate the porting process. If you are porting a large batch of numbers, make sure that the account and billing information is correct for each number.
• Disputes with current provider: If you have a dispute with your current provider, it may delay or prevent your number from being ported. For example, the dispute could be over an unexpectedly steep bill from months ago. This can be frustrating, but you’ll want to resolve this so you can get the porting process started.
• Geographic restrictions: Not all VoIP providers offer service in all areas. If you’re going to use VoIP at an international scale, you might want to check twice how the provider’s infrastructure will work with your target locations (see my post about rate centers if you are worried about this issue). Generally speaking, geographic restrictions on VoIP are something of the past. It might happen, though, that your VoIP service can’t offer an inbound customer number for a particular country, so that should be your focus.

You’ll soon notice that most of these challenges are the ones you’d expect to show up when switching from a new utility to another, or when changing your ISP at home. In a worst-case scenario, you could be stuck in limbo when company A has to transfer the custody to company B. Fortunately, the FCC has regulated the process, so you shouldn’t experience any long-term obstacles that prevent you from porting your number.

Most of the time, porting numbers is fairly straightforward, so long as you start early and hit all the key responsibilities during the process. Switching phone services is always a little tricky though, so feel free to check out my posts on how to run a smooth VoIP installation or how small businesses can replicate a familiar key phone system in the cloud.