Access and Porting

How can you gain access to America’s only portability registry?

The Number Portability Administration Center/Service Management System (NPAC/SMS) is the system that supports the implementation of Local Number Portability (LNP) and is used to facilitate number porting in the United States. Some reasons a telephone number may need to be ported:

• Inter-carrier or competitive porting: when a telephone number moves from the current Service Provider to a new Service Provider.
• Intra-carrier porting: when a telephone number moves from one switch to another within the same telecommunications service provider's network.
• Number pooling: when a telephone number moves to a new Service Provider in blocks of 1,000 to create an inventory of unassigned telephone numbers.

To facilitate porting, a Service Provider sends porting information, called “Subscription Version” information, to the NPAC. Service providers choose their access method based on business need.

A Subscription Version can be entered or modified via a:

• Non-mechanized web-based Low Tech Interface (LTI)
• Mechanized Service Order Administration (SOA) system
• Request via the NPAC Help Desk
• Service Bureau

Once a ported number is activated, real-time network downloads are sent from the NPAC to all Local Service Management Systems (LSMSs). 

NPAC Customer Portal 

The NPAC Customer Portal is a valuable resource for all NPAC Users and PTRS Users. 

From the Customer Portal, you can:

• Access the Service Catalog with information regarding Bulk Data Downloads, Connectivity, Porting Services, Reports, Contact Change Requests, Subscription Version Requests and Testing.
• Access the Knowledge Base, which includes Methods and Procedures, User Manuals, Reports, Forms and FAQs.
• Access your company’s Account information, including Users and Contacts, Bulletin Boards, Dashboards, Billing Portal and Trainings.
• Open a ticket to report an issue or request a service 
• Start a chat session with a live Desk Agent