The ported cell phones in the USA

The following paper explains how to identify telephone numbers (TNs) that have been ported to a cell phone, in the USA; this is required in order to comply with the TCPA ruling.

Due to the advent of wireless number portability in 2003, older methods of identifying the types of services associated with a particular TN have become ineffective. In response, NeuStar has contracted with NAPM to provide certain data elements to qualified users in order to help these users meet the requirements and conditions of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991. Entities violating the ruling are subject to financial penalties by the FCC of up to $11,000 per incident.

The FCC implemented the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (the "TCPA") adopted rules, including prohibiting the initiation of telephone calls (other than a call made for emergency purposes or made with the prior express consent of the called party) using automatic telephone dialing systems or an artificial or prerecorded voice, to TNs assigned to a paging service, cellular telephone service, specialized mobile radio service or other radio common carrier service, or any service for which the called party is charged for the call.

NeuStar provides two (2) files consisting of lists of intermodal ports of TNs between wireline-to-wireless ports and wireless-to-wireline ports. These files are updated on a daily basis. NeuStar provides the service on a password-secured website.

Who should subscribe to the Intermodal Ported Telephone Number Service?
Those customers who are required to comply with the TCPA ruling, and desire to receive the Intermodal Ported Telephone Number data to:

avoid engaging in TCPA Prohibited Conduct by verifying whether TNs are assigned to a paging service, cellular telephone service, specialized mobile radio service, or other radio common carrier service, or any service for which the called party is charged for the call; or

disclose, sell, assign, lease or otherwise provide the TN Ports to a third party that itself qualifies as a "Customer" under an Intermodal Ported TN Identification Services Agreement for the sole purpose of avoiding TCPA Prohibited Conduct by verifying whether TNs are assigned to a paging service, cellular telephone service, specialized mobile radio service, or other radio common carrier service, or any service for which the called party is charged for the call.

What all this means is that if you are conducting a survey using an outbound IVR system, or an automated predialing system, do not have the consent of the called parties and you happen to reach a cell phone, you would be violating the FCC ruling.

By subscribing to Neustar directly or through us as a sub-account, you will have access to Neustar databases, or we will be able to remove any ported cell phone numbers from any sample you purchase from ASDE.

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