[Asterisk-Users] OT: How to "own" a telephone number?

[tmassey at obscorp.com]

asterisk-users at lists.digium.com wrote on 02/03/2005 02:20:57 PM:

> tmassey at obscorp.com wrote:
> > Also, we're currently looking into toll-free service, but the 
alternatives 
> > seem to be much the same.  At least nobody is telling us if there is a 
way 
> > to lock in a certain number even if we change providers.  They've all 
told 
> > us that the number we receive is theirs, and if we change providers we 

> > lose the number.  I'm sure 1-800-Flowers, et. al. are not being held 
> > hostage like that...
> 
> What you are seeing with these bargain providers is they have a clause 
> in their contract that says they own the number, not you. It is a lock, 
> and it ought to be illegal, but sadly, it's probably not. If you choose 
> one of these companies that doesn't allow you to "port" or "resporg" 
> your number out, that's your decision.  Just ask when you get the 
> toll-free if they do allow resporg's out, and have them show you the 
> wording in their contract that confirms it.

Thank you for the information.  That is what I was looking for, and I have 
now found providers that allow the numbers to be moved.

> > I would love to know what ideas you might have for getting a telephone 

> > number with the ability to stay with us even as the underlying 
> > infrastructure changes.  Is this even possible?
> 
> A normal (not tollfree) number, if assigned to you by a RBOC, or most 
> CLECs belongs to you, and you can port it to any other carrier who 
> services your area(assuming they allow port-in's). I doubt you'll find a 

> LEC that will want to do you any better than what you've already seen 
> with the call-forwarding, unless you have a significant amount of 
> traffic and want to set up a point-to-point, frame, or other method of 
> trunking the traffic.

Nope, just a small 4-person consulting shop.  Not enough volume to be 
interesting.

OK, then. If a $30/month for a virtual circuit forwarded is as good as it 
gets, then that pays for 600 minutes of toll-free number time at 
$0.05/minute.  On top of the fact that we would like a toll-free number 
anyway, it looks like there is almost no reason to keep a "permanent" 
local number.  We'll just have a permanent toll-free number instead.

Is providing the ability to assign numbers to people instead of to 
locations really that hard?  Is it really so much easier for Internet 
domains to do it?  Or is this just an oligarchy at work?  :)

Tim Massey