Modern day phone system question

[Marauder2003]

Given I can move my cell phone (and number) between carriers at the drop of a hat, I assume there is some organization that keeps track of the number/carrier combo. Like ICANN does for IP addresses. Is there an ICANN for phone numbers? Or do the phone companies just pass the info between the companies themselves?

[SkyHawk]

It is called NPAC and for the USA it is run by a company called iconectiv

More here https://numberportability.com and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number...tration_Center

[Marauder2003]

Thanks.

[SkyHawk]

Also on the topic, I would suggest everyone make sure you have a port lock on your account(s). It takes almost nothing for someone to request a port out of your phone number. Carriers are supposed to obtain a letter of authorization from anyone requesting a port to their system from another carrier, but some carriers are very loose with how they verify the authorization is legitimate. Especially some of the larger and/or shadier VOIP carriers (like bandwidth.com)

I manage more than a few blocks of phone numbers and a couple of years ago, someone tried to port out a number from a contiguous block of 1000 that I manage. That is when I went down this port-out rabbit hole. At some point in the past, Congress made it easier for people to leave their carriers, apparently because carriers were being shady and trying to hold customers hostage with their phone number. In typical government fashion however, the pendulum swung the other way too far and the result is that it is very easy for someone to steal a phone number, sometimes with devastating effects

The bottom line is carriers have to allow port outs and can give almost no fight. If your carrier is presented with a port out request from another carrier, they have to allow it. They do not even get to see the letter of authorization, the requesting carrier (aka the winning carrier) only has to affirm that they have one. The name of the person requesting the port does not have to match the current phone number holder of record. Your only protection is to make sure you have a port-out lock on your account secured with a verbal password or similar. If you have a port lock on your account, then the other carrier has to supply the password you created otherwise the port will not go through (in theory).

If you ever get wind this has happened to you, you need to provide your carrier a new LOA and have your carrier immediately send what is called a JEOPARDY notice to the other (winning) carrier which will put the port into a conflict status.

[Reno-Kid]

Also on the topic, I would suggest everyone make sure you have a port lock on your account(s). It takes almost nothing for someone to request a port out of your phone number. Carriers are supposed to obtain a letter of authorization from anyone requesting a port to their system from another carrier, but some carriers are very loose with how they verify the authorization is legitimate. Especially some of the larger and/or shadier VOIP carriers (like bandwidth.com)

I manage more than a few blocks of phone numbers and a couple of years ago, someone tried to port out a number from a contiguous block of 1000 that I manage. That is when I went down this port-out rabbit hole. At some point in the past, Congress made it easier for people to leave their carriers, apparently because carriers were being shady and trying to hold customers hostage with their phone number. In typical government fashion however, the pendulum swung the other way too far and the result is that it is very easy for someone to steal a phone number, sometimes with devastating effects

The bottom line is carriers have to allow port outs and can give almost no fight. If your carrier is presented with a port out request from another carrier, they have to allow it. They do not even get to see the letter of authorization, the requesting carrier (aka the winning carrier) only has to affirm that they have one. The name of the person requesting the port does not have to match the current phone number holder of record. Your only protection is to make sure you have a port-out lock on your account secured with a verbal password or similar. If you have a port lock on your account, then the other carrier has to supply the password you created otherwise the port will not go through (in theory).

If you ever get wind this has happened to you, you need to provide your carrier a new LOA and have your carrier immediately send what is called a JEOPARDY notice to the other (winning) carrier which will put the port into a conflict status.

That is some serious great information. Thanks!

[BigMac90660]

But, how do you do a port lock?