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This Order establishes a process to authorize interconnected VoIP providers to obtain North American Numbering Plan (NANP) telephone numbers directly from the Numbering Administrators, rather than through intermediaries. Section 52.15(g)(2)(i) of the Commission’s rules limits access to telephone numbers to entities that demonstrate they are authorized to provide service in the area for which the numbers are being requested. The Commission has interpreted this rule as requiring evidence of either a state certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) or a Commission license. Neither authorization is typically available in practice to interconnected VoIP providers. Thus, as a practical matter, generally only telecommunications carriers are able to provide the proof of authorization required under our rules, and thus able to obtain numbers directly from the Numbering Administrators. This Order establishes an authorization process to enable interconnected VoIP providers that choose direct access to request numbers directly from the Numbering Administrators. Next, the Order sets forth several conditions designed to minimize number exhaust and preserve the integrity of the numbering system.

The Order requires interconnected VoIP providers obtaining numbers to comply with the same requirements applicable to carriers seeking to obtain numbers. These requirements include any state requirements pursuant to numbering authority delegated to the states by the Commission, as well as industry guidelines and practices, among others. The Order also requires interconnected VoIP providers to comply with facilities readiness requirements adapted to this context, and with numbering utilization and optimization requirements. As conditions to requesting and obtaining numbers directly from the Numbering Administrators, interconnected VoIP providers are also required to: (1) provide the relevant state commissions with regulatory and numbering contacts when requesting numbers in those states, (2) request numbers from the Numbering Administrators under their own unique OCN, (3) file any requests for numbers with the relevant state commissions at least 30 days prior to requesting numbers from the Numbering Administrators, and (4) provide customers with the opportunity to access all abbreviated dialing codes (N11 numbers) in use in a geographic area.

Finally, the Order also modifies Commission’s rules in order to permit VoIP Positioning Center (VPC) providers to obtain pseudo-Automatic Number Identification (p-ANI) codes directly from the Numbering Administrators for purposes of providing E911 services.