NPAC Service FAQs

If you are a service provider or PTRS user that has become an authorized NPAC user, you will be able to interact with the NPAC/SMS in the following ways:

• Service Order Activation (SOA) - The SOA is used to communicate information to the NPAC SMS and back to the service provider.
• Local Service Management System (LSMS) - The LSMS is used to receive information from the NPAC/SMS and serves as the database for all information required for direct call routing when a customer changes service providers.
• Low Technology Interface (LTI) - The LTI is the graphical user interface (GUI) that can be used instead of the SOA to communicate information to the NPAC/SMS.
• NPAC Help Desk - You can contact the NPAC Help Desk to speak with a representative.
• Service Bureau - A third-party service bureau can help you interact with the NPAC indirectly.

For more information on accessing or interacting with the NPAC, click here.

A Service Provider that accesses the NPAC via a direct Local Service Management System (LSMS) or Service Order Administration (SOA) interface, is considered a Service Provider with mechanized access. If you access the NPAC exclusively through the Low-Tech Interface (LTI), through a third party, or exclusively via the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) or Help Desk, then you are considered a non-mechanized user.

Yes, iconectiv offers TruNumber Finder, a service that is separate from the NPAC. TruNumber Finder simplifies telephone number management, confirms customer acquisition and enhances customer service by providing a full, fast and accurate view of the information needed to trouble-shoot call-completion and telephone number porting issues. In order to subscribe to TruNumber Finder, the company must be a registered NPAC User.

The BFR is a written notice regarding a pending port-out request, sent from a porting-in provider to the provider of record for the end user. If this provider of record has never received a port-out request, their switch may not have been set up to port. Once the BFR has been received by provider of record, this BFR explains the time intervals in which that provider must get their network set up to honor the port. Other references are: FCC 96-286, FCC 97-074, FCC 02-16, FCC 03-126, FCC 03-237 and 47 C.F.R. § 52.23 and 52.31.

Per Title 47 C.F.R. § 52.23 (c) all local exchange carriers (LECs) must provide number portability in compliance with these regulations. 

(c) All LECs must make a long-term database method for number portability available within six months after a specific request by another telecommunications carrier in areas in which that telecommunications carrier is operating or plans to operate.

In 1996, the FCC passed the Telecommunications Act to increase competition among service providers. Among other things, the law stated that service providers must participate and pay for LNP in the U.S. The NPAC was created to support the implementation of LNP shortly after the Act was passed. 

Bills are issued monthly and can be accessed on the billing portal via the NPAC Customer Portal. Users can also request for bills to be mailed or emailed. 

Every telecommunications Service Provider nationwide is required to report end user revenue information on the FCC 499A form and submit it to the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). iconectiv then uses this information to create the customer’s allocated percentage rate - the formula is the customer’s individual end user revenue information divided by the sum of all end user revenues reported by all customers who have reported revenue in the same region as the individual customer. 

All forms must be filled out in April of each year. A copy of the 499A form is available online.

Based on a mandate set by the FCC in 1997, all telecommunications service providers are responsible for sharing in the cost of the LNP service. The Federal Code of Regulations (CFR) TITLE 47, Telecommunication, PART 52 requires telecommunications carriers to pay the shared costs of Local Number Portability Administration (LNPA). For more information, click here.

In most situations, the increase may be due to an increased number of direct charges billed from one month to the next. These could include, generating reports via the NPAC system, purchasing log-on ID’s, etc. Increase in charges may also come from adjusted 499A filings that could change your regional allocation percentage. If this does not describe your situation over the past month, contact our Billing Help Desk at: +1 844-560-8050.

Allocable charges are determined based on the end-user revenue and service provider revenue filed on the FCC 499-A form that service providers submit to the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). Information from that form is used to calculate the amount service providers are billed. The fee for the shared costs of LNPA for each applicable billable year is defined as the All-Region Flat Fee in the MSA between iconectiv and NAPM, LLC. Allocated Payors with zero end-user revenue and zero carrier’s carrier revenue and additional Allocated Payors that are categorized as exempt by USAC are excluded.

Additionally, any filer that reports only carrier revenue with no end user revenue will be charged only $100 per region per year.

The 499-A form must be filed with the Universal Services Administration Co (USAC). Users will need to supply the company’s Filer ID#. Once the Filer ID# is provided, USAC will work with the company to correct/update your 499-A information. 

Contact information on the 499-A form can be updated here.

Companies that are no longer in business should contact the USAC at +1 888-641-8722 AND email the NPAC to notify iconectiv of the change in status (LNPA-Acct-Mgmt@iconectiv.numberportability.com).

Companies will need to provide the USAC with appropriate documentation to verify that the company has ceased business operations. The USAC will then notify iconectiv that the company is no longer in business. Once that information is received and processed, the company will no longer receive NPAC bills. 

Outstanding charges will not be collected if:

• The customer’s termination date is prior to the charges billed
• The customer satisfactorily documented their “out of business” status 
• The USAC has sent notification that appropriate filings are complete

In Chapter 11 situations, the customer will still be responsible for payment if LNP charges are assessed after the bankruptcy filing date.

The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Automated Telephone Number Lookup System is a telephone-based service that provides information on ported telephone numbers. Registration is done through the NPAC Customer Portal. Once registered, users can check up to 20 telephone numbers per session by calling 877-295-9707 and entering their PIN.

Once a Service Provider or Provider of Telecom Related Services (PTRS) is an authorized NPAC user, a NPAC IVR PIN can be requested through the NPAC customer portal. PIN(s) will be available with 24-48 hours. Instructions for retrieving the NPAC IVR access PIN(s) will be provided to the primary registration contact.

“Not ported” means the telephone number has not been moved to another service provider. It still resides with the service provider that originally assigned the telephone number’s area code and prefix. You can use the NANPA to look up the originally assigned carrier of an area code and prefix.

The North American Numbering Plan (NANP) is the numbering plan for the public switched telephone network for Canada, the US and its territories, and the Caribbean. The North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA) holds the overall responsibility for the neutral administration of NANP number resources, subject to directives from regulatory authorities. 

NPAC Service Management System (SMS) users must operate under the coverage of all applicable insurance requirements that are specified in the user agreement.

Proof of insurance demonstrates that a company is able to cover general liability conditions, such as physical injury, property damage or personal injury that may occur during your business’ operations.

iconectiv, LLC., 100 Somerset Corporate Blvd. Bridgewater, NJ 08807

Users have two options:

1. Users can name iconectiv on the Certificate of Insurance as an Additional Insured. 
2. Users may have an Endorsement added to their insurance policy that permits the user to include a person or organization (in this case iconectiv), as an Additional Insured on the user's policy without having them listed as an Additional Insured on the Certificate of Insurance. 

No, articles of incorporation confirm that the company has been legally formed but do not provide any proof of insurance coverage. As such, articles of incorporation do not represent proof that a user has an actual valid or effective insurance policy that meets the required coverage limits for general liability and workmen’s compensation insurance. 

All Providers of Telecom Related Services (PTRS) Users, which is technically what Service Bureaus are, need to follow the same registration process and provide the same information. This is consistent with the current registration process.

The different categories of NPAC users include:

• Service Providers – Telecommunication companies that provide service to end-users or customers.
• Providers of Telecom-Related Services – A group that accesses the NPAC to route, bill or rate calls or to perform network maintenance. This includes Service Bureaus, which are third party users that access the NPAC on behalf of their customers

Certain NPAC data elements are available to specific, qualified companies that rely on quick and accurate access to this data. Download the Power of Number Porting document for more information.

Services that require a separate registration and signed agreement, include:

• PortData Comply - available to businesses that must comply with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The data can be used exclusively for verifying if a telephone number has been ported between wireless and wireline, which is one of the essential elements needed for TCPA compliance.
• PortData Source - available to Law Enforcement and Public Safety Agencies online. The data is used exclusively for verifying the porting history, service provider ownership and service provider contact information for a specific telephone number.
• PortData Validate - available to businesses that use telephone numbers as part of their fraud mitigation and risk assessment service, the data can be used exclusively for verifying the porting history and service provider ownership for a specific telephone number.

Even those already registered as a PTRS User, must register separately for each service depending upon the Permitted Use.

Service Providers must meet all of the following criteria:

• Possess an Operating Company Number (OCN) issued from the National Exchange Carrier Association (NECA)
• Hold Operating Authority, Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), Radio License or VoIP Proof of Numbering
• Participate in porting numbers

Companies that require access to NPAC data may qualify as a PTRS if they:

• Route, bill or rate telephone calls, or perform network maintenance in connection with providing or facilitating the provision of telecommunications services in support of Service Providers
• Are an interconnected VoIP provider that is not eligible to obtain numbering resources from the North American Numbering Plan Administration (NANPA), directly and instead must partner with a facilities-based Public Switched Telephone Number (PSTN) Service Provider to obtain NANPA numbering resources and connectivity to the PSTN
• Are a non-facilities-based reseller of interconnected VoIP services that use the number resources and facilities of an interconnected VoIP provider, or a traditional PSTN reseller
• Are a Service Bureau performing porting work on behalf of a Service Provider who is a registered NPAC user

Registered Provider of Telecom Related Services (PTRS) NPAC users can only use the data for billing, routing, rating and network maintenance. PTRS users that also want to use the data for fraud mitigation and risk assessment must also register as a PortData Validate customer.

• Businesses that use auto dialers to contact consumers can use this service to help them round out their TCPA compliance efforts for telephone marketing, which prohibits the use of auto dialers or pre-recorded voice messages to any telephone number in which the called party is charged 
• Examples of companies that may benefit from this service include Call Centers, Contact Centers, Market Research Firms, Marketing Agencies, Telemarketers and Debt Collectors

There are three types of PortData Comply customers:

• Direct - A customer that accesses ported telephone number data themselves to avoid engaging in TCPA prohibited conduct
• Reseller - A customer that discloses, sells, assigns, leases or uses the ported telephone number data to verify a customer’s list of telephone numbers so a third party can avoid engaging in TCPA prohibited conduct
• Second Tier - A customer that receives ported telephone number data, or any part thereof, from a Reseller customer, so that the Second-Tier customer can avoid engaging in TCPA prohibited conduct

• Law Enforcement agencies or officers of such agencies, of the United States or of a State or political subdivision that are empowered by law to conduct investigations of or to make arrests for violations of federal, state or local laws
• Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) entities of the United States or of a State or political subdivision, empowered by or contracted under law to operate or administer a PSAP facility to receive 9-1-1 calls, and as appropriate, dispatch emergency response services, or transfers or relay 9-1-1 calls to another public safety operator

Yes, every Service Provider and PTRS user and their customers who receive the data or derived data must register regardless of how often they access the data.

Registration instructions differ for each user group:

• Service Providers or Providers of Telecom-Related Services (PTRS) can visit https://numberportability.com/npac-service to register for the NPAC service.
• Companies that assess risk and mitigate fraud can visit https://numberportability.com/portdata-validate-service to register for the PortData Validate service
• Businesses that must comply with TCPA Compliance can visit https://numberportability.com/portdata-comply-service to register for the PortData Comply service
• Law Enforcement and Public Safety groups can visit https://lawenforcement.numberportability.com/register to register for the PortData Source service

Registration depends on user type.

• Service Providers - There is no fee for registrations.
• Providers of Telecom Related Services (PTRS) - Users are required to go through a New User Evaluator (NUE) process, there is a non-refundable fee for that evaluation.
• PortData Validate - Direct, Reseller and Indirect users must subscribe and pay the applicable fee, details of which will be provided upon execution of a Non-Disclosure Agreement. Direct and Indirect customers can also opt to subscribe to the Query service.
• PortData Comply - Users pay an annual subscription fee. Payment must be received within 30 days of the date on the invoice or access to the files may be suspended until payment is received
• PortData Source - There is no fee for users to access the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) service. There is a subscription-based fee for users to access the web-based Enhanced Law Enforcement Platform (ELEP) service

All applicants must provide information regarding their company, Operating Authority (if applicable), valid use cases and insurance. 

In addition, all Service Providers must provide:

• An Operating Company Number (OCN)
• Proof of Operating Authority, Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, FCC Radio License, or FCC VoIP Proof of Numbering
• 499-A Filer ID from Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC)

Those unfamiliar with the 499-A ID should review the FAQs in the Billing section of the NPAC Customer Portal. 

The estimated turnaround time for each form once properly completed and submitted, is as follows:

• Non-disclosure agreement (NDA) - iconectiv will return a countersigned NDA with a New User Application (NUA) in 5-7 business days
• New user application (NUA) - iconectiv will respond within 10 business days with one or more pre-populated Regional User Agreement (RUA)
• Regional User Agreement (RUA) - iconectiv will respond within 10 business days with a countersigned Regional User Agreement (RUA) and then registration will be complete

Providers of Telecom-Related Services (PTRS) must go through a New User Evaluator (NUE) process, which can take up to 60 days to complete. As such, PTRS applicants are encouraged to apply in all NPAC regions to avoid having to go through the application process again if additional regional data is needed.

The estimated turnaround time for each form, once properly completed and submitted, is as follows:

• Non-disclosure agreement (NDA) - iconectiv will return a countersigned NDA with a New User Application (NUA) in 5-7 business days
• New User Application (NUA)/New User Evaluation (NUE) process - This can take up to 60 days to complete
• Regional User Agreement (RUA) - iconectiv will respond within 10 business days with a countersigned Regional User agreement (RUA) and then registration will be complete
• Regional User agreement (RUA) and then registration will be complete

The help desk can be reached via email or phone. The information for each service is available on the Contact Us page, at npac@iconectiv.numberportability.com or by calling +1 844-820-8039

The NPAC Billing Help Desk for Service Providers and Providers of Telecom Related Services (PTRS) can be reached by calling +1 844-560-8050 or via email. Please remember to prominently include the account name or invoice number in the email, preferably in the subject line.

General questions for all IVR users can be sent via email to IVR@iconectiv.numberportability.com. 

• Service Providers and Providers of Telecom Related Services (PTRS) IVR users can have their questions addressed by calling the NPAC Help Desk at +1 844-820-8039
• Law Enforcement and Public Safety Answering Service (PSAP) IVR users can have their questions addressed (or have their PIN reset) by calling +1 844-511-3537