Avoxi: How Porting Business Phone Numbers Works (in 2021)

How to Port Business Phone Numbers the Right Way

A business phone number is a fundamental part of your brand identity. It’s the number – or group of numbers – that has been splashed across your web pages, social media, and promotional materials…not to mention picked up several international search engines.Your business number is everywhere.It’s a number you’d probably prefer to keep. After all, your customers have grown familiar with it because they’ve been in contact with you for years. However, the clunky landline or subpar provider has run its course and you’ve been considering switching to VoIP because of your market expansion goals.Businesses can easily transfer their legacy phone number over to a new carrier with a process called porting. Porting a business number is pretty easy with the right provider – even if you’re going international. In this article, we’ll take a look at some common questions around international porting, supported number types, and process tips to efficiently port over.

How Number Porting Works

Porting is the process of transferring a legacy phone number over to a new carrier. Companies will port their numbers elsewhere for a variety of reasons: long-distance call charges on landlines, inability to forward calls, inferior call quality and support tools, etc.Customers new to AVOXI have shared their input behind their decisions to port over to us. Our consistent uptime and excellent call quality, global voice reach in 170+ countries, and exceptional free phone features to optimize processes and improve the customer experience were among the most mentioned.AVOXI’s VoIP porting service is quick, easy, and available for several number types in over 100 countries – at no cost! For a limited time, customers can get a full month of free calling with every business number ported to our network! Check that your number transfers efficiently with AVOXI’s VoIP phone number portability chart.

What documents do I need to port my number?

While the required documentation may vary by country and provider, in most cases, a business will need to provide the following information:

  • Letter of Authorization. A completed letter of authorization (LOA) gives permission to the new carrier to contact your current carrier and begin the porting process. AVOXI provides an LOA template for anyone interested in transferring their business number to our network.
  • Proof of Ownership. Proof of ownership is necessary for a new carrier to transfer the number. This document can be something as simple as a bill or invoice that references your name, number, and billing address.
  • Number Porting Form. Porting international numbers may require an additional form. Talk with your new provider about how to obtain one. Porting US and Canadian numbers are excluded from this form requirement.

How long does porting a number take?

The time it takes to port will largely depend on your provider’s process, your old provider’s responsiveness, and how quickly you can send off the requisite information. Most of AVOXI’s international number transfers take 3-7 days to complete, but we advise giving yourself a 30-day window for those rare cases that need more processing and provisioning time.From the time of request, porting local or toll free numbers in the US or Canada generally takes 2-3 weeks to complete. Customers are not expected to face any down time during the porting process.

Can I transfer a landline number to a VoIP service?

Yes! Porting numbers to VoIP, even traditional landline services, is quick and easy with most VoIP porting services.

Information Needed to Transfer Your Business Numbers

Letter of Authorization (LoA)

A completed letter of authorization (LOA) gives permission to the new carrier to contact your current carrier and begin the porting process. AVOXI provides an LOA template for anyone interested in transferring their business number to our network.

Proof of Ownership

Proof of ownership is necessary for a new carrier to transfer the number. This is usually as simple as a bill or invoice from your current carrier that references your name, number, and billing address.

International Porting Form

In some countries, porting international numbers may require an additional form. If this is the case, your new provider should be able to give more detail and provide whatever you need. The Number Porting Process

The Number Porting Process

Toll Free Porting

Requirements to port toll free numbers to a new carrier (US & Canada):

  • Letter of Authorization
  • Proof of Ownership

Expected time to complete service transfer:

  • 2-3 weeks

Additional Notes:

  • The FCC requires toll free service providers in the US & Canada to facilitate requests to port toll free numbers
  • It is generally a bit quicker to port toll free numbers than local numbers

Local Number Porting

Requirements to port local numbers to a new carrier (US & Canada):

  • Letter of Authorization
  • Proof of Ownership

Expected time to complete service transfer:

  • 3-4 weeks

Additional Notes:

  • Toll free ports are regulated by the FCC, while local numbers are regulated by different organizations.
  • Despite this, failure to port local numbers in the US & Canada is highly unusual.

International Number Porting

International porting may take a bit longer than porting a number to a local service provider. There are several things you can do to effectively impact the process and get it moving swiftly, so you can connect with your audience even faster.

  1. Confirm your number is portable. Some service providers may have a contract clause that numbers purchased are not portable, or the account must remain with the provider for a specific period of time before porting. Check with your provider to make sure that your number is portable and you’re not obligated to continue your contract.
  2. Stay with the current provider until porting is complete. Don’t cancel on your provider just yet. Wait for the go-ahead from your new one before scrubbing the old one. If removed prematurely, you could risk losing your phone number altogether and extending the processing time even more.
  3. Obtain an invoice copy. Your phone invoice contains all the essential information a new provider needs to process your porting request. The statement contains several important details your new provider may ask to see, including a customer ID number, phone numbers associated with your account, usage history, and service and billing address.
  4. Begin the conversation. Once the invoice copy has been obtained, you can begin the conversation with the new provider about your interest in porting international business numbers. You might need to fill out a digital pre-requisite form first before speaking to a representative.
  5. Sign and Send a Letter of Authorization. You’ll have to complete, sign, and send a Letter of Authorization (LOA) to your new provider. When they’ve received it, along with any other required documents, the carrier will then initiate the porting process and reach out to your current provider. It can take days to complete, especially if the number is a landline, mobile, or virtual number.
  6. Test it. When your provider has successfully transferred your number on their network, try a few inbound and outbound test calls to make sure the connection and quality are up to your expectations. Be sure to reach out to your account manager or support team for any service issues.

Is Your Business Number Portable?

The following table reflects the international number types AVOXI is currently able to port for you. We are one of very few VoIP services that specializes in international number porting, and customers often tell us that we were able to port phone numbers they owned in other countries after other carriers said their numbers were not portable.However, if your number type is not listed as portable, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s impossible to port your number! It simply means we have not successfully ported that number type recently and cannot ensure those numbers can be transferred. If your number type is portable, contact us to find out how much you can save by porting phone numbers to AVOXI! 

Toll Free and Local Number Portability

 
AlgeriaDIDPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
AustraliaNationalYes – Port Now!
AustraliaDIDYes – Port Now!
AustriaITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
AustriaDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
BahamasITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
BelgiumDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
BelgiumITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
BermudaITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
BrasilDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
BrasilITFSYes – Port Now!
Brunei DarussalamITFSPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
BulgariaDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
CameroonDIDPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
CanadaDIDYes – Port Now!
CanadaITFSYes – Port Now!
ChileDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
ChileITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
ColombiaITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
CroatiaDIDYes
CroatiaITFSPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
CuracaoNationalPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
CyprusITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
Czech RepublicITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
DenmarkITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
Dominican RepublicITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
EstoniaITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
EstoniaDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
FinlandDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
FinlandITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
FranceDIDYes – Port Now!
FranceITFSYes – Port Now!
FranceNationalYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
French GuianaITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
GermanyITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
GermanyDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
GermanyNationalYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
GreeceDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
GuadeloupeITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
Hong KongITFSYes – Port Now!
HungaryITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
HungaryDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
HungaryNationalYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
IcelandITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
IrelandITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
IrelandDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
IrelandNationalYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
Isle of ManMobilePortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
IsraelDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
IsraelNationalYes – Port Now!
ItalyITFSYes – Port Now!
JapanITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
Korea, SouthITFSPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
Korea, SouthDIDPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
LithuaniaDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
LithuaniaITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
LuxembourgDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
MalaysiaDIDPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
MartiniqueITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
MayotteITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
MexicoDIDYes – Port Now!
MexicoITFSYes – Port Now!
MonacoITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
MontserratITFSPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
MoroccoITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
NetherlandsITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
NetherlandsDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
NetherlandsNationalYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
New ZealandDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
New ZealandITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
PanamaDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
PeruDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
PeruITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
PolandNationalYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
PolandDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
PortugalDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
Puerto RicoDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
ReunionITFSPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
RomaniaITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
RomaniaNationalYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
RomaniaDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
Russian FederationDIDPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
Russian FederationITFSPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
Saint Kitts and NevisITFSPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
Saint LuciaITFSPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesITFSPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
SingaporeNationalPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
SlovakiaDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
SlovakiaITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
SloveniaITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
SloveniaDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
South AfricaDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
SpainDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
SpainITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
SpainNationalYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
SudanDIDPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
SwedenDIDYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
SwedenITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
SwitzerlandITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
SwitzerlandDIDYes – Port Now!
Turks and Caicos IslandsITFSYes, contact setup@avoxi.com
United Arab EmiratesITFSPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
United KingdomITFSYes – Port Now!
United KingdomDIDYes – Port Now!
United KingdomNationalYes – Port Now!
United States of AmericaDIDPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
United States of AmericaITFSPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
VenezuelaITFSPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
VietnamNationalPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
Virgin Islands, BritishITFSPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com
Virgin Islands, U.S.ITFSPortable in most cases. Contact setup@avoxi.com

How to Transfer Business Phone Lines for Free

Porting your business number is a great service to reach your global audience and align your brand within new markets. Switching to a new provider doesn’t have to be a hassle. In fact, seeking a new VoIP provider can help you discover new technologies and features that can assist a business in its global communication efforts.AVOXI’s feature-rich voice platform and analytics provide a wealth of information and benefits to our customers. The value-add tools and functionality help streamline international communication processes and, in return, improve the customer experience. A win-win.

Sourced from: Avoxi. View the original article here.

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