Number portability

Why it matters

Portability is why range databases are imperfect: a number allocated to one carrier may now be served by another. It also means the range a number was issued from does not always describe who serves it today, which is a source of inconsistent verification results across services.

Related terms

• Range databaseA commercial dataset mapping number ranges to carriers, line types and risk scores, queried by services deciding whether to accept a number.

Related reading