FCC Expands Local Number Portability to VoIP

FCC EXPANDS LOCAL NUMBER PORTABILITY TO VoIP
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The right of consumers to keep the same, familiar phone number when switching to a new telephone company was expanded by the Federal Communications Commission, in an Order that will further ensure consumers' opportunity to choose a telephone service provider based on quality, price and service. The FCC made clear that the obligation to provide local number portability extends to interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol providers and the telecommunications carriers that obtain numbers for them. This action was, in part, a response to numerous complaints by consumers about their inability to port numbers to or from interconnected VoIP providers. The FCC also initiated a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on additional VoIP numbering issues.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-277752A1.doc