How do I bring my number to RingRx (aka “Porting”)

How do I bring a number to RingRx?

If you have a number with another telephone company, you can bring it over to your account on RingRx. This process is called a “port” and is an official process in which two phone companies manage who is responsible for your number. To bring your number to RingRx, just fill out the Port Request form here:

Port in form

We will handle the rest. Please be advised it can take 1-3 weeks for a port to complete, so just be prepared for the time schedule. Don’t worry, your number will still work the entire time with no expected downtime.

Forwarding in the Interim

You can also forward your existing number to your temporary RingRx number while the port is in process.  To call forward your number, it would be best to be in touch with RingRx Support just to make sure it is setup and functioning properly.  Because each phone company has some unique particulars surrounding forwarding, its not possible to predict how things will work for everyone. 

To enable forwarding with your current phone company, you will need to check their specific instructions.  To forward to RingRx, the number you use will be the 10-digit number assigned during your trial.

 

What is “porting”?

Porting is a formal and legal process of moving a phone number from one service provider to another.  The legal perspective is important to understand:  When you subscribe to a phone service and part of that service includes buying a phone number, you, the subscriber (i.e. the customer) owns that number.  It is your property from the perspective of the FCC.  Since you own it, you are entitled to use it with a company of your choosing.  The company you choose to use is more like a custodian of that number – meaning they hold and manage it at your request.

So porting really just changes which company is going to manage that number for you, and of course provide services to.  But the main point here is that only one company can manage the number and the process of deciding who is going to manage it is porting.  

What is the process?

The process of porting is legally regulated by the FCC.  As a result, the service providers that manage numbers on your behalf have to follow rules to ensure that nobody is improperly trying to move a number from one company to another.  In general the process goes like this:

1. Customer obtains a phone number from their new service provider
2. Customer decides to move to a new service provider
3. Customer requests new service provider to port the number from the old service provider
4. New service provider collects information from customer to request a port from old service provider
5. Old service provider reviews information and ensures it is consistent with their records
6. If the records are inconsistent, the old service provider rejects the port request and provides a reason.  
7. If rejected, new service provider gets corrected information from customer to re-submit to old service provider
8. Old service provider agrees to release number and provides a date when the number will be released.  This date is called a “firm order commitment”, or FOC date
9. The number ports on the FOC date

How long will it take?

The amount of time can vary from a few days to several weeks.  A normal port with no problems can usually be expected to complete in 7-10 business days.  The difference in time depends on how quickly the old service provider responds to the request, and whether or not the original information submitted is accurate or not.  

Questions?

If you have any questions about porting, please email our Port Team at ports@ringrx.com