FCC Conditionally Approves Telcordia as the Next Local Number Portability Administrator and Authorizes Contract Negotiations to Begin

The Federal Communications Commission conditionally approved a recommendation that Telcordia Technologies Inc. serve as the next administrator of the service that allows consumers and businesses to keep their phone numbers when switching carriers, called “local number portability.”

Local number portability fuels competition by allowing consumers and businesses to choose their phone provider based on cost and service, without the inconvenience and expense of losing a familiar number. In addition to the porting of over 100,000 numbers a day, the capabilities built around local number portability are critical to public safety, law enforcement and consumer protection. The recommendation of Telcordia as Local Number Portability Administrator (LNPA) was developed following a multiyear, competitive process implemented by the FCC’s federal advisory committee on numbering, the North American Numbering Council, with oversight from the FCC. This process included extensive input from industry, consumers, and public safety and government entities, resulting in the recommendation of an experienced, qualified company to administer and keep the system secure. The Order does not award a contract. Rather, it authorizes contract negotiations between the NAPM (North American Portability Management, LLC), which is an industry consortium, and Telcordia. The negotiated contract will be subject to FCC review to ensure that the neutrality and security requirements are fully satisfied.