What is Number Porting?

When you decide to move to a new provider or switch to VoIP, it’s probably important for the continuity of your business to keep your existing phone number. This is called ‘porting’, the process by which your old provider and new provider.

Even though the NBN now means that every Australian home and business has to port their phone numbers to a new VoIP service, number porting isn’t a new thing. Whenever you set up a phone service of any kind, with any provider, a number is either chosen by you (in the case of 1800, 13 and 1300 numbers) or allocated to your business based on your location. Whichever phone service provider you have chosen, owns the number?

There are two types of number porting, Category A and Category C, and below we will look into what the difference between them is, and how the process works for each.

Port types

Simple Port:

This refers to a single number and can generally be completed within seven working days so long as the number isn’t part of an ISDN group of a larger block of numbers.

Submit a port request by contacting your provider. This will take one business day to submit to our upstream provider. At this point, your account is charged.
Losing provider Accepts port out. This should take four business days, however, it may take longer if there are any delays with process porting files between our service and the losing provider.
Cutover date is provided. The cutover date is generally 1-2 business days from when the port request was accepted and is chosen for you.
Port is completed. Once the port is completed, it is advised that you check the number has come across with no issues. There is a four-hour window for an emergency return if an issue has accrued to keep the number active.

Important information about Simple ‘CAT A’ Ports

Simple ports generally take 5-8 business days to complete.
For a Simple port to be successful, all complex services on the line must be removed prior to the submission of the port. The line must also be active.
Simple Port fees are charged per porting attempt at the time of Port Submission. If the port is rejected and resubmitted, the charge will be reapplied.
Common reasons for Simple Port rejections are incorrect information (such as wrong account number/address) or because of complex service(s) associated with the number.
To make porting easy, it is recommended that all complex services are removed from the line and then the port is submitted as a Simple Port. This helps to minimize the time and cost involved! If cancelling features on a service, please wait 2 business days before submitting the port request.
For redirections for Telstra, the only call forwarding option is CDNO. CDNO means the port will remain Simple. Prepaid number redirections cannot be ported under any process. Number Redirection cannot be provided to numbers that are not connected to the Telstra Network.

Complex Port:

This refers to more than one number, complex ports typically take 6 weeks to process.

Submit a port request by contacting your provider. This will take one business day to submit to our upstream provider.
Port will then be accepted, this should take ten business days, however, it may take longer if there are any delays with the process porting files between our service and the losing provider.
Select your cutover date. We will contact you once the port has been accepted to organize a date to have the number(s) cutover. Once all parties confirm we will set the cutover date. Please be aware that at least a 10 business day grace period needs to be given.
Port is completed. Once the port is completed, it is advised that you check the number(s) are on your account with no issues. There is a 4-hour window for an emergency return if an issue has accrued to keep the number active.

Important Information about Simple ‘CAT C’ Ports

Complex ports generally take 8-12 weeks to complete depending on complexity.
Number blocks are considered as single numbers, for example, a 100 block is 100 numbers and will be charged at the 100 number batch fee.
A Complex Batch will need to be for the same end customer name at the same address to be accepted. A Complex Batch can have more than one account number, although this does not happen very often.
A Complex Batch will need to be for the same end customer name at the same address to be accepted. A Complex Batch can have more than one account number, although this does not happen very often.
For Emergency Returns, the fee will be based on the actual size of the return, unless they are associated numbers. For example, if 300 numbers are ported and they are all associated, but an Emergency Return of only 100 is required, it will be charged as the cost of 300 numbers emergency return. However, if an Emergency Return is required for 100 numbers out of 300, and they are NOT associated, the fee will be charged as the cost of a 100 number emergency return.
All associated numbers must be ported even if only 1 number is wanted. The only option around this is that the association must be broken before the port is submitted.

Special Ports (porting a 1300 or 1800 number):

This refers to 1300 and 1800 numbers, Special ports generally take 6-8 business days to complete.

Submit a port request by contacting your current provider. This will take one business day to submit to our upstream provider. At this point, your account is charged.
The losing provider accepts the port out. This should take 6-8 business days, however, it may take longer if there are any delays with processing porting files between our service and the losing provider.
Cutover date is provided. We will contact you once the port has been accepted to organize a date to have the number(s) cutover. Once all parties confirm we will set the cutover date. Please be aware that a 2 business day grace period needs to be given.
Port is completed. Once the port is completed it is advised that you check the number has come across with no issues. There is a 4-hour window for an emergency return if an issue has accrued to keep the number active.

Important information about Special Ports

Special Ports generally take 5-8 business days to complete.
For a Simple Port to be successful, all complex services on the line must be removed prior to submission of the port. The line must also be active.
Simple Port fees are charged per porting attempt at the time of Port Submission. If the port is rejected and resubmitted, the charge will be reapplied.
Common reasons for Simple Port rejections are incorrect information (such as wrong account number/address) or because of complex service(s) associated with the number.
To make porting easy, it is recommended that all complex services are removed from the line and then the port is submitted as a Simple Port. This helps to minimize the time and cost involved! If cancelling features on a service, please wait 2 business days before submitting the port request.
For redirections for Telstra, the only call forwarding option is CDNO. CDNO means the port will remain Simple. Prepaid number redirections cannot be ported under any process. Number Redirection cannot be provided to numbers that are not connected to the Telstra Network.

Glossary of Porting Terms:

Here are a few of the commonly used local number porting (LNP) terms that it would pay to get your head around as you start with number porting.

Donor: The provider or Carriage Service Provider to which a Telephone Number has been allocated or transferred under the numbering Plan (basically the original provider the number was allocated to from ACMA).
Loser: The provider or Carriage Service Provider from which a Telephone Number has been or is to be ported (basically the current provider who is about to lose the number).
Gaining: The provider or Carriage Service Provider to which a Telephone Number has been or is to be ported (basically the provider who is going to receive the number).
CCA: Call Collection Area – there is a total of 66 CCA’s in Australia.
Reversal: The reinstatement of a Customer’s service with the Losing provider or Carriage Service Provider during the Reversal Period for Telephone Numbers Ported using the Simple/Cat A Process.
Emergency Return: The re-establishment of a service, which can be in the form of either the Customer’s original service or if that is not possible an alternative service. Emergency Return only applies to complex Ports and can only be within a certain time frame of the completion of the port.
Pre Port Validation (PNV): A regulatory form to allow the gaining provider to request service number details from the losing provider.
PAF: Porting Authority Form – More on Page 10 under ‘Customer Authorisation’’.
SNA: Simple Notification Advice means advice contained within a Porting Notification Order which provides the details required for a Telephone Number to be Ported using the Cat-A (Simple) Process.
CNA: Complex Notification Advice means advice contained within a Porting Notification Order from the Gaining C/CSP to the Losing C/CSP which, provides the initial Porting details for each Telephone Number to be Ported using the Cat-C (Complex) process.