TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Porting an 800 Number

Re: Porting an 800 Number

Fred Atkinson (fatkinson@mishmash.com)
Fri, 3 Jun 2005 20:42:04 -0400

> [TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Fred, I may be missing something here,
> but regards the redirection of your personal 800 number, why wouldn't
> you just do that yourself (to wherever you like) rather than pointing
> it at still another 800 number from Vonage, so you will now get twice
> the fees for your inbound calls? PAT]

You did miss something, PAT.

A personal (or business) 800 number can be pointed at whatever carrier
that will take it and route your call. My first personal 800 was
gotten for me by the folks at Sprint. When I moved on to another
carrier, the new carrier arranged to repoint the number from Sprint to
their service. And I moved a couple of more times. Each time, the
new carrier repointed the number to go to them when I moved my
service. I never had to do it myself.

This carrier says I have to arrange for it to be pointed at them. But
once it is pointed at them, they will arrange for it to be sent to my
local phone number that they provide me.

Vonage offers toll-free numbers (I say 800 because both of my
toll-free numbers happen to be 800 numbers). But, they won't accept a
toll-free number that you already have. They will get you a new one,
but they won't transfer an existing toll-free number. I spoke to
several people at Vonage (including those who do the number
portability stuff) and they all said the same thing. They did say
that if you wanted to use another carrier and point it at your Vonage
number that you were free to do so. So, when you dial my personal 800
number, it currently gets routed to Power Net Global who routes it to
my Vonage number. Double whammy.

But this new carrier says they will allow you to move the toll-free
number to their service. The only hitch (as I previously mentioned)
is that you have to get the 800 number pointed at them. because they
don't do it for you. Unfortunately [as I never had to arrange to move
my number from one carrier to another myself], I don't know how to
arrange for that to happen. Once the number is pointed at them, they
will arrange for it to ring your phone. In this manner, you don't
have to use two carriers to make it work.

Did I explain it better this time?

Regards,

Fred

[TELECOM Digest Editor's Note: Yes, you did. Let's see if anyone can
provide any answers. PAT]

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