The DID porting survival guide
Why ports fail, what providers won't tell you, and the five-step pre-port checklist that prevents 80% of headaches.
Number porting is the single most operationally painful thing in telecom that customers assume is easy. Here's how to keep it boring.
Why ports actually fail
- Address of record doesn't match the losing carrier's CSR.
- Account number or PIN is wrong (or missing).
- Numbers are in a different service profile (DID vs toll-free vs wireless).
- An open pending order is locking the number.
The 5-step pre-port checklist
- Pull a CSR from the losing carrier — not the customer's memory.
- Confirm the BTN (billing telephone number) is in the list.
- Cancel any pending changes on the account.
- Match the AOR exactly, including suite numbers and punctuation.
- Coordinate the FOC date with the customer's IT calendar — not Friday at 4pm.
The honest part
Even with everything right, ports sometimes go sideways. What matters is whether your provider has a named human on the queue who can call the losing carrier directly — not a ticket form.
Written by
All Access Carrier Team
Network & Operations · All Access Telecom
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