Port number from Vonage

Posts: 89 · Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 11:28 am Post subject: Port number from Vonage

I am considering switching from Vonage to another VOIP provider. Has anyone tried to port their number out of Vonage. My number was ported to Vonage from Verizon. I know that if Vonage supplies you with a number they will not let you take it with you. Which I find funny since they encourage you to move your number to them but they won't do the same for others. Anyway thank goodness my number was originally with Verizon.

Has anyone successfully moved a number from Vonage to another service???

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 11:33 am Post subject:

this shouldn't be a problem, and there are similar threads detailing this. however, your best bet may be to port it back to verizon. but again, it shouldn't be a problem.

Posts: 68 · Full Forum Member Joined: Jan 30, 2005 Posts: 68

I have read on other forums Vonage doesn't transfer back very easily.

Posts: 36 · Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 6:50 pm Post subject:

Trek234 wrote:

I have read on other forums Vonage doesn't transfer back very easily.

According to the FCC, they have no choice. All numbers are portable. Basically you can move any number to anywhere.

Almost as if you OWN the number.

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 6:55 pm Post subject:

I think the issue here is that vonage is not regulated by the fcc, although the clec's they get the numbers from are. because vonage gets the number from the clec, they are the customer of record. when you get a telephone number from a clec or ilec (basically a line from a traditional phone company) you are the customer of record, and you can have the number moved. so if vonage is the customer of record, and they don't want the number moved...
but if you port your traditional line to one of vonage's clec's, you are still the customer of record.

Posts: 68 · Full Forum Member Joined: Jan 30, 2005 Posts: 68

eliotj wrote:

Trek234 wrote:

I have read on other forums Vonage doesn't transfer back very easily.

According to the FCC, they have no choice. All numbers are portable. Basically you can move any number to anywhere.

Almost as if you OWN the number.

Does the FCC regulate VOIP providers, though?

There have been posts at broadbandreports.com saying vonage simple REFUSES to release a number sometimes. But then there are other posts saying just the opposite, so I suppose YMMV.

Posts: 68 · Full Forum Member Joined: Jan 30, 2005 Posts: 68

reebok wrote:

I think the issue here is that vonage is not regulated by the fcc, although the clec's they get the numbers from are. because vonage gets the number from the clec, they are the customer of record. when you get a telephone number from a clec or ilec (basically a line from a traditional phone company) you are the customer of record, and you can have the number moved. so if vonage is the customer of record, and they don't want the number moved...
but if you port your traditional line to one of vonage's clec's, you are still the customer of record.

Thanks for the info! Can you detail more what a "customer of record" means?

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 7:14 pm Post subject:

not sure if I've ever seen a definition...I go for the self-explanatory definition of the customer who is on record (in the computer, database, whatever) as being assigned that phone number. vonage gets the number from the clec (then gives it to you). so they are the customer who is on record at the clec, not you. whereas when you go through a "normal" phone company who is the clec or ilec, you are the customer of record.

Posts: 482 · Posted: Sat Mar 05, 2005 10:14 pm Post subject:

I spoke to someone from my state regulatory agency on Friday about this very issue. He described it this way:

If you got the number from a regulated service provider, then the number was registered in your name (much like a registered domain name). As long as you maintain service under that number, you continue to own it, whether the service comes from a regulated provider or not.

He also said that if you leave Vonage, they are required to cooperate in the number transfer, because the number is registered in your name. However, because VoIP is not regulated, he said that no agency has enforcement authority over Vonage, and therefore you are basically at their mercy if you have an issue with them unless you're willing to take them to court. (Kind of like your friend who owes you money is required to pay you back, but you may have to sue him to get it.) Not that I would expect Vonage to be that way, but there you go.

And the converse is true also...if you got your number from an unregulated provider, then it was registered in their name and they own the number, end of story.

Basically the same as rebook described, but I thought the domain name analogy was helpful. Getting a number from a regulated provider would be the equivalent of a domain name, and getting a number from Vonage would be the equivalent of a Tripod account.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Apr 01, 2005 Posts: 2

I am a long time customer of vonage and my number was issued with them. I moved to their service over 18 months ago and it was ok considerin it is using the internet. I wanted to port my Bellsouth phone number to them back then but they said It would take 3 weeks so I thought that for a faster transfer I rather take their offer and get the phone number from them. Now I am trying to port my phone number to a diffrent phone company and they refuse to do so. I think it is very unfair for them to do that since other real phone companies port their number to them. I want to know if their is anybody who can help me with an advice what to do?