What is SIP Trunking?
SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) Trunking is a digital way of making and receiving phone calls and other communications over an internet connection. The term trunking refers to the method of consolidating multiple communication channels into one singular connection. SIP Trunks provide VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) connectivity between on-premise phone systems and the PSTN, allowing for the efficient use of resources and connection to the telephone network.
Working with a trusted SIP provider like Fuse 2 ensures your VoIP infrastructure is built with security at its core, not as an afterthought.
Mistake #1: Not Checking Number Eligibility Early
It can be easy to overlook that not all numbers are portable, which may be the reason you’re experiencing porting issues. The following examples could be why the numbers aren’t portable:
Geographic restrictions
Providers in different countries have different regulations, which can affect the ability to port.
Legacy Complications
Porting issues can also come down to outdated systems, processes or regulations that obstruct the transfer of numbers between providers.
Freephone numbers
Difficulties with freephone or toll-free numbers can occur for several reasons, including mismatched account details between providers, inactive or unowned numbers, interruptions from alarms or broadband connections, incorrect information causing rejections, or complications from outdated routing and network systems.
An eligibility number is a code that gives you or your company the stamp of approval to get a certain type of phone service or discount. This also includes being eligible for a special phone number, like a toll-free number or a non-geographic number.
Examples of often ineligible numbers are as follows:
Freephones
These aren’t eligible because freephones aren’t actually free; they’re paid through a monthly service plan. This means that the phone is dependent on that plan and is not considered ‘free’.
Premium rates
Premium rates are more of a tool and aren’t proof of identity, as opposed to an eligibility number that proves something about an individual.
Some regional numbers
The reason why some regional numbers are not eligible is that they don’t prove identity; they just prove location. An eligibility number proves that someone has met the criteria.
Unfortunately, the process will only inform you that your number is not eligible after the porting process has started. The best way to prepare for porting a number is to check that your number is eligible with your SIP provider.
Mistake #2: Providing Incomplete or Incorrect Information
Even the smallest errors can completely derail the number porting process; therefore, it’s key to ensure that the information is accurate. Although the process of porting numbers can take a while, accuracy is more important than speed.
Here are some examples of small mistakes that can obstruct the number porting process:
Inaccurate/incorrect information
Information like name, address, account number, etc, needs to match the same information as the old carrier. Even a typo could lead to your submission being denied.
Issues with account status
If your account has been suspended for whatever reason, the number will not be eligible for transfer.
Unauthorised Request
Make sure that the person requesting is the primary account holder on the old carrier’s records.
Technical Limitations
There might be a chance that the number is tied to an old piece of hardware that the new carrier can’t support. This tends to happen when transferring numbers from a landline to a modern VoIP or mobile service.
The information you’ll need to begin porting numbers is:
- Business name
- Address
- Account number
- Contact email
- Billing Address
A Customer Service Report (CSR) is the record a service provider holds with information regarding a business’s account. This includes phone numbers, activity history, business and personal information like name, address and account number.
Mistake #3: Overlooking Porting Timeframes
Same-day number porting is a myth or, at the very least, rare. Typically, number portings can take several days, and on some occasions, weeks, even if things are going smoothly. Patience and planning are key to the number porting process. You need to be accurate and not prioritise speed to ensure that all of the information submitted is correct and precise; otherwise, every rejected submission due to incorrect details costs £15 and can take several days to get back on track.
For perspective, a single-line installation process can take several days to a week, whereas a complex DDI can take up to 22 working days. However, several factors can affect these timeframes:
Holidays
Holidays will obviously extend the lead time because they take up working days.
Provider cooperation
If the current and new companies work together well, the process should be quite seamless. If not, there could be data clashes, which could delay the porting process.
Volume of requests
A large volume of requests can slow things down. A higher volume can also result in more errors, which could delay the porting process and overload the people working on it.
Businesses would experience delays if they plan on a launch around the same time as a number port. Businesses that do this may not understand how long porting numbers actually can take, which can lead to rushed submissions with incorrect information, resulting in delays.
Mistake #4: Cancelling Services with Your Current Provider Too Soon
When switching providers, it’s common and necessary to have an overlap, which gives you the chance to make sure that the new service is working before switching off the previous one. This is because an overlap ensures a smooth transition, which would be essential for any business that relies on an internet connection to function, i.e e-commerce or customer support. Without an overlap, this could lead to a gap of time without internet. This wouldn’t be a few minutes; this could be hours or days with no internet, no phone systems and lost revenue.
A common mistake businesses make to save money is to disconnect their old provider. A number cannot be ported if its provider has been terminated or suspended. Furthermore, cancelling with your current provider too soon, without the confirmation from your new provider, can lead to permanently losing numbers. Although it can be costly to have both providers active during the overlap, we highly recommend this
because it prevents downtime and the permanent loss of numbers, which would cost more than paying two providers for a small period of time. When it comes to porting numbers, patience is key to ensuring that the porting process is completed with reduced issues.
Mistake #5: Overlooking Dependencies (Alarms, Fax, Payment Lines)
Something that many people tend to forget is that numbers are not only used for phones. Things like security alarms, card payment machines and fax lines would still be dependent on the previous network and not the new one. Here’s why it’s important to release the numbers from these devices.
Security Alarms
Many alarms will be tied to a landline and will therefore require a contract with the original phone provider. The previous provider would have something called a ‘service lock’ on the number, which prevents the number from being moved. This means that the porting request would be rejected and would still be rejected until the number is released from the security service.
Card Payment Machines
Card machines (usually ones that are fixed in place) still use a traditional dial-up connection to phone lines to process transactions. This could be an issue because they might not be compatible with digital voice technology. If the number is ported, the machine would simply stop processing payments. This can be detrimental to retail shops that can’t process card payments indefinitely.
Fax lines
Fax lines with old providers would be tied to their system. To transfer the number, you would need to ask the old provider to disassociate the number from the fax service. If this isn’t done, the submission will be rejected. A simple way of resolving this would be to switch to a modern, internet-based fax service (e-fax). This eliminates the physical machine, as once the number is correctly ported, you can have your faxes sent to you via email.
There are so many other examples where devices can be tied to numbers, which could be detrimental to a business’s reputation and value. For this reason, we’d advise auditing all numbers and their uses before porting.
Mistake #6: Not Planning for Downtime or Failover
Even well-planned ports can have issues, from small mistakes that are in and out of your control, that can slow down the number porting process. Small things like misspelling information or public holidays may result in downtime; for this reason, being prepared for mistakes is key.
In this scenario, ‘downtime’ refers to a period where a phone system is unavailable. This can lead to missed calls, frustrated customers and ultimately a loss in revenue. In times like these, it’s important to have a failover procedure to mitigate losses. A ‘failover’ procedure is a system that automatically transfers control to a duplicate system when a fault or failure is detected. During the downtime of a phone system, some simple, effective failover solutions would be:
Call forwarding
A telephone feature that automatically redirects incoming calls from your current phone to another designated number/device.
Backup numbers
This is a secondary phone number used for account recovery. If it’s on a different network from your main number, you’ll be able to receive important codes and notifications.
SIP failover routes
This feature automatically redirects calls to a predetermined number or SIP trunks if the primary line fails.
It’s important to implement these strategies as soon as possible in case your system experiences any downtime. When implementing these strategies, we also recommend testing them before porting.
Mistake #7: Choosing the Wrong Porting Partner
It’s important to note that not all SIP providers are experts; knowledge and ability really matter. Poor providers can cause delays and rejections, so it’s especially important to find a provider that you can trust for expert service and support.
To find the best provider, consider asking these questions:
- What’s your average porting time?
- How do you handle failover and disaster recovery?
- How do you ensure call quality?
- What security features do you offer?
- Is your service compatible with my current system?
When it comes to looking for a SIP provider, it’s imperative to work with a responsible company. The ideal company would have:
- SLA’s to guarantee that the phone system you use is reliable
- Observe suspicious activity and actively prevent fraudulent calls.
- Handle the emergency calls so that responders can help your business out in an emergency.
- Offer 24/7 knowledgeable customer support to fix any issues and mitigate downtime.
When it comes to choosing a SIP provider, Fuse 2 Communications is the safe choice. Fuse 2 offers the highest quality SIP trunks and is an award-winning independent provider of communication services for organisations. We guarantee call quality and reduced latency for all your global communications. The network that we use is proactively monitored by sophisticated software, providing us with clear insight into your performance metrics. We also have a team of experts prepared to help with any potential disruptions that are available 24/7.
Best Practices for a Smooth Porting Process
Know your correct account information
Any critical information, like your address, company name, and other similar details, must be accurate. If they are misspelt or incorrect, your port will be rejected.
Identify your ideal porting date
Ensure that the date that you request is the date that you want the numbers and is realistic. It’s important not to deviate from this set date, or you might face additional costs and wasted time.
Ensure that there are no pending orders associated with your account
If you have pending orders associated with your account while you’re trying to port a new number, it will reject the order, and you will need to start all over again.
Failover plan
It’s better to be safe than sorry, so having a contingency plan is a necessity. This is why we highly recommend call forwarding, backup numbers and SIP failover routes.
Choosing the right provider
The right provider is someone reliable, professional and transparent as this will facilitate a smooth porting process. They ensure that your service quality doesn’t drop after porting and maintain call quality during the transition.
Communicate with your new provider
Your provider is there to guide you through the process and help you succeed. If you’re ever in doubt, speak with your Fuse 2 manager for help.
