As a reminder, there is no need to wait until you receive a Part 4 Reminder
Notice to submit your Thousands-Block Application Form Part 4. You may submit a
Thousands-Block Application Form Part 4 as soon as you’ve placed the NPA-NXX-X
in service and assigned a number out of it. The
definition of In Service per the Thousands-Block Number (NXX-X)
Pooling Administrator Guidelines (TBPAG) is, “a code or block for which
local routing information appears in the LERG Routing Guide, and one or more
telephone numbers within the NXX code or NXX-X block has been Assigned to an end
user (FCC 00-104, ¶240). Numbers that are categorized as Administrative,
Aging, Intermediate, Reserved, or Available cannot also be Assigned and do not
satisfy the In Service requirement.”
Per the FCC clarification in FCC
15-70: … “Numbers provided to carriers, interconnected VoIP providers or
other non-carrier entities by numbering partners should be reported as
“intermediate,” and do not qualify as “end users” or “customers.” (FCC
15-70, ¶32)”. Based on this clarification Intermediate Numbers may only be
reported as Assigned Numbers when those numbers have been assigned to an “end
user” or “customer” by the receiving carrier.
“A thousands-block assigned to an SP should be placed in service by the
applicable activation deadline, that is, six months after the original effective
date returned on the Part 3 and entered on the BCD/BCR screen in BIRRDS.
Confirmation that the block has been placed in service is mandatory. If the PA
does not receive the Part 4 – Confirmation of NXX-X Block In Service, the PA
will start the reclamation process within 60 calendar days of the expiration of
the applicable activation deadline by referring instances of unactivated
thousands-blocks to the relevant state commission (see Section 9.1.3). If the SP
identifies that it will not meet the activation deadline, due to circumstances
beyond its control, the SP may request an extension from the state commission.”,
per section 8.3.12 of the TBPAG.
Below are the definitions of Assigned Numbers and Intermediate Number from the
TBPAG for reference.
·
Intermediate
Numbers are numbers that are made
available for use by another telecommunications carrier or non-carrier entity
for the purpose of providing telecommunications service to an end user or
customer. Numbers ported for the purpose of transferring an established
customer’s service to another service provider shall not be classified as
intermediate numbers (47 CFR § 52.15 (f) (1) (v)). Numbers such as dealer number
pools should be included as a subcategory of intermediate numbers (FCC 00-104 ¶
36). An “intermediate” number is one that is made available to a carrier or
non-carrier entity from another carrier, but has not necessarily been assigned
to an end-user or customer by the receiving carrier or non-carrier entity (FCC
15-70 ¶30). Numbers provided to carriers, interconnected VoIP providers, or
other non-carrier entities by numbering partners should be reported as
“intermediate,” and do not qualify as “end users” or “customers” (FCC 15-70,
¶32).