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It was called the largest IT project in United States telecom industry history, and Kathy Timko, of iconectiv (Bridgewater), was overseeing it to completion. The final May 2018 deadline came and went. The project that she had started five years before was finally finished. But no one noticed, Timko said. Certainly not the 425 million customers in the nationwide system that includes 650 million phone numbers and 1,400 phone companies. Timko and her team simply went about their business, directing a project to ensure that customers in the United States could keep their telephone numbers when switching providers. “Nobody really noticed it, which is something you really want to have happen. If someone noticed, then something is broken. But no one noticed, which is the best possible outcome,” she said.

The Enhanced Law Enforcement Platform (ELEP) is a subscription-based online service that allows you to gather information on up to 100 telephone numbers per query and provides additional features. Features include, web-based interface or API integration, telephone number searches by range and specific number, as well as, historical porting information

Criminal investigations can hinge on tracking down telephone information and criminals know it. They will often take advantage of number portability to evade detection, swapping telephones and numbers from one service provider to another. Fortunately, the nation's Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC), managed by iconectiv, is a central, common and authoritative database that law enforcement and public safety agencies rely on to retrieve critical numbering information.

If you’ve ever spent hours trying to troubleshoot a technical issue with your local cable or phone company, you might appreciate the complexity involved in building a system that would serve 1,600 phone companies throughout the U.S. to make it possible for consumers to keep their phone number — even when changing carriers. Faced with what some consider the largest IT project ever undertaken within the U.S. telecom industry, Kathy Timko, executive vice president of local number portability administration (LNPA) services at the Bridgewater-based iconectiv, was undaunted by the complexity of building a new nationwide system that would manage the portability of 650 million phone numbers.

Between email, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Skype and text messaging, no one really needs a phone number anymore, right? Wrong. Phone numbers are as important as ever—even among people who spend most of their time online. 83 percent of U.S. adult internet users had a phone conversation with a customer service rep in the past year, Forrester Research says. And a Google survey found that 47 percent of mobile search users won’t do business with a company if they can’t find its phone number. Those are just few reasons why the North American Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC) plays such a key role in both the US economy and everyday life.

The efficient administration of telephone numbers is essential for network operations and customer service organizations to run smoothly. iconectiv recognized the need for information on this topic and presented a webinar in partnership with the Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) to provide valuable insights on how to protect your customers, brand and revenue. Bob Grant, Principal Product Manager, discusses how immediate access to key phone number attributes helps seamlessly resolve customer service issues, efficiently manage number pooling and streamline operations. This will include a conversation about how you can aggregate real-time data from disparate systems to manage these challenges.

Massive Multi-Year Telecom Infrastructure Project Successfully Completed On Schedule

The LNPA operates the system that allows consumers to keep their telephone numbers when they switch communications service providers, thereby promoting consumer choice and competition among those companies.

Weekend Marks Successful Cutover for Southwest, Western, and West Coast NPAC Regions

All registered users of the iconectiv Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC) are encouraged to log in to the iconectiv NPAC Customer Portal before the final NPAC regional transition on May 20, 2018.