scope:

SCOPE AND OVERVIEW

This technical requirements document defines the switch requirements for Number Portability (NP) between wireline networks, using the Location Routing Number (LRN) Method. The terms Number Portability (NP) and Local Number Portability (LNP) are used interchangeably within this document.

Number portability is a circuit switched network capability that allows a North American Numbering Plan (NANP) number associated with an end-user to be moved from one serving switch in a network to another serving switch in the same or different network without changing the association between the end-user and the number. Only Directory Numbers (DNs) associated with circuit-switched voice or data calls are portable. The porting of packet addresses is not supported by the NP capability. For example, DNs assigned to ISDN B-channels carrying either voice or circuit switched data can be ported; however, if the B or D channels are carrying packet data, the channels have packet addresses, which are not portable. Requirements provided in this document address number portability using the LRN obtained from a centralized database to identify the recipient switch when numbers are ported. This document addresses the necessary requirements for service provider and location portability within a rate center. This document does not address number portability for subscribers with directory numbers that are also used for packet switched data.

This technical requirements document does not fully address the billing issues associated with identifying multiple service providers on the same switch (no service provider line attribute), especially when the number moves from one service provider to another on the same switch. This document does not address the issues related to porting subscribers out of a non-NP capable switch.

This document does not address any additional requirements for porting between wireless networks, nor requirements for porting between wireless and wireline networks. For requirements related to porting between wireless networks, see TIA/EIA-41-D-97, T1.713, T1.711, T1.708, and TIA-756-A. The wireless switches follow the same network interface (i.e., signaling the LRN) as wireline switches in accordance with the signaling standards defined in T1.660.