OTTAWA – The CRTC is hoping to simplify the number portability process by expanding access to the Canadian Number Portability Administration Centre Service Management System to third parties.
Number portability enables a customer to keep the same telephone number when changing telecommunications service providers within the same exchange. The NPAC/SMS is used by local exchange carriers (LECs) and wireless carriers to conduct the number portability process. The Commission initially limited access to the NPAC/SMS for the purpose of porting telephone numbers between LECs and subsequently expanded this access to include wireless carriers.
After receiving a request to expand access by from the Canadian Local Number Portability Consortium Inc. last November, the Commission determined Friday that an expansion will enable new types of traffic generated by these parties’ services and applications to flow to end-users of services offered by wireless and local exchange carriers that are Canadian LNP Consortium Inc. shareholders.
