Ask Dr. Z-What is Porting? Can I move my old phone number from my old provider to a new provider?

A lot of questions have been floating around regarding porting.

What is it? and What is involved?

Porting means you can switch a phone number from one videophone provider to another provider. That means when it is enabled on the new phone, all calls will go to the new phone.

Customers have freedom to decide whether they want to change providers. When they decide to change, they need to port the number from the old videophone provider to the new videophone provider.

Customers control the phone number, not the videophone provider. They decide which provider is used for that number and the videophone provider cannot change or port the number without the approval (or consent) of the customer.

To make this possible, the customer needs to sign a LOA (Letter of Authorization) form that authorizes the new provider to get the number from the old provider.

Providers cannot threaten to, or disable a phone if a customer decides to port their number. The old videophone MUST remain 911 capable until the porting process is complete. That means the old provider MUST wait for the new phone to start working with the new provider before they disable the old phone.

If any of you experience different situations that are not the same as the above, you have every reason to file a complaint with the FCC. (Several people have already done so.)

Dr. Z cares about your communication access.