When I sign up with a provider to get minutes and a phone numbers (also Known as a DID, I believe - please correct me if I am wrong) for my phones I am stuck with them because I do not own the phone numbers they give me. I have read that the provider is the actual ‘customer’ and owns the telephone number, and they are just loaning it to me.
As one of Asterisk’s features, it allows you to change providers rather easily in a config file, ensuring that you aren’t locked into any one provider. If the origination/termination provider actually owns the number, how can I simply move to another without changing numbers? This would be a big problem if you had already advertised your phone number and the provider raises the rate of their service.
How do you all handle this? Can you give me any suggestions, tips or advice?
they are required to give up the number if you request for it to be ported over to a differnt carrier. granted your account dosnt have any outstanding balance ect.
Companies like Vonage do not - I read an article online which states they buy the numbers from a CLEC like Level 3, and then lease them to us as customers. After doing this, I can not request the number because I am not the actual customer, Vonage is. I will try to find a link and post it.
Regardless of if I can request the number or not, it is a hassle. If I have to move my website from webhostA to webhostB, I don’t have to contact the webhost. I can have a 3rd party registrar such as tucows and change the DNS properties there. Isn’t there a service like this for the VoIP phone numbers also?
it depends on the company. If it really becomes a problem you can always have your lawyer start talking to them, chances are they’d rather release the number then spend tons of money on a court case. Also check the TOS- if it specifically says that you aren’t allowed to port out a number, then stay away. If it doesn’t mention it or says you can, all the better.
Any telephone number provided by CD (“Number”) to the User shall be leased and not sold. User shall not obtain any rights, title or interest in the Number. The Number is not portable to other service providers. The User is not to use the Number with any other device other than the Equipment without the express written permission of CD. CD reserves the right to change, cancel or move the Number at its discretion.[/quote]
What provider is going to give me a good rate (call daddy is .02/min in the US) and still let me port the number somewhere else?? I can’t find any.
keep in mind- your inbound provider and your outbound provider can be two totally different companies. If you are buying minutes wholesale then you can almost always set what you want your outbound caller id to be. You can then have a totally different company providing inbound service.
Also not all companies do what calldaddy does and use the TOS to lock you out of your own DID. many don’t, so keep looking.