Number Porting

Overview

“Number Porting,” not to be confused with “BYON” text enablement, refers to the complete transfer of both voice and text services from one service provider to another. Numbers which have been ported in to Aerialink can be text-enabled to send/receive SMS just like any other Aerialink number, however they will no longer support voice services. Therefore, ensure that you fully understand what you are requesting when submitting for a “port.” Porting is a good option for those who do not need voice services and whose former provider does not permit a bifurcation of SMS and voice (i.e. does not honor “subscriber choice” for SMS).

After submitting a port request, Aerialink customers are encouraged to begin 10DLC brand and campaign registration for long codes delivering to the U.S., or toll-free verification for toll-free numbers. However, please note that these processes must wait until the porting process has completed.

International Number Porting

The porting of international numbers is not supported at this time.

API and Porting

Note that our API does not support porting in to Aerialink or away to another provider. It is a manual process and requires coordination between Aerialink and the other provider.

Inbound Voice Forwarding

Aerialink does provide an inbound-only call forwarding service for voice, but it is not a replacement for voice services and does come with restrictions and usage caps.

Timeline

Number porting requires a coordinated effort between the former carrier and future carrier for the numbers. The length of time varies, and can stretch longer if the port is bulk en masse.

Ports can be scheduled to occur on specific dates to best work for both the customer and for the carriers involved, though on rare occasions (due to the aforementioned coordination between carriers) ports may complete prior to or following the specified porting date. Anticipating the potential of an early port, customers porting to Aerialink should configure their number(s) to be ready to port in advance. If the port is going to be delayed for any reason, Aerialink will notify customers as soon as that information is available, but it is recommended that new customers continue their service with their previous carrier until porting is complete and successful traffic flow has been verified.

How to Port to Aerialink

Any U.S. standard or 8XX number can be ported to Aerialink.

To begin the number porting process, simply submit a ticket to our Help Desk Portal with the following information:

1. The number(s) you wish to port
2. Existing carrier
3. Billing name, address and account numbers for the number(s) to be ported (Copy of invoice/bill)
4. Desired time of port-in from current provider to Aerialink (we will notify the Number Registry to minimize downtime. This requires a minimum of one business day to cooredinate)
5. Services running on number (SMS only? SMS and voice?)
6. A completed Letter of Authorization (LOA) dated within the last thirty (30) days

Once we have these details we can start the process.

10DLC Registration Migration

10DLC registration status for brands and campaigns is not transferrable from one SMS provider to another. A new brand and campaign must be created with Aerialink.

When moving numbers with live traffic from an existing campaign to a new campaign with Aerialink:

1. Remove the number from the previous campaign, including de-publishing with the T-Mobile A2P Platform.
2. Deactivate the previous campaign from TCR.

Note that the above should be timed and coordinated events to minimized SMS service disruption. Additionally, the Aerialink customer should:

• Submit a support request to Aerialink for the migration a minimum of two weeks in advance of the intended move date, along with an LOA for the numbers and the target date for routing transfer to ensure ample time for campaign registration.
• Provide the name of the former SMS provider, the 10DLC brand name, the 10DLC campaign ID with the former provider, and all associated numbers tied to the campaign.
• Note that if the numbers are being fully ported rather than text-enabled, this should be noted as it will extend the timeline.

Short Code Service Migration

Read our Short Code Migration article for more information about the short code migration certification process.

Short Code Lease Transfer

Inbound Short Code Lease Transfer

Transferring the lease of your existing short code to Aerialink’s Short Code Registry account is an option available to Aerialink customers migrating their short code service to Aerialink.

In order to transfer a short code lease to Aerialink:

1. Aerialink will review the existing short code program brief to ensure migration is viable.
2. Aerialink will provide our SCR account number to the customer.
3. Through the SCR portal, the existing lease holder will access the code record and click the button which says “Transfer.”
4. When prompted, enter the Aerialink (Message Broadcast) SCR account number we provided.
5. Once the transfer is initiated, notify Aerialink so that we can approve the transfer and complete the process.

Note that this process is for customers who are electing to transfer the lease of an existing short code as part of a short code migration from another provider.

Outbound Short Code Lease Transfer

When Aerialink leases a short code on your behalf, we will always honor your wish to transfer the short code lease away from Aerialink to your own account or to that of a different provider.

To transfer a short code lease away from Aerialink:

1. Provide the SCR account number for the destination account.
2. Aerialink will initiate the transfer to that account.
3. The receiving account must confirm the transfer.