Fongo Community Forums

Hi!

I just called the sales to initiate a porting of my phone number (1-450-961-xxxx) and I was surprised that FPL can't port my phone number. My city (Terrebonne) was in the list (http://www.freephoneline.ca/cityListing) of available cities.

I already bought a config file and an ATA device, and now I can't port my phone number. That kinda sucks. I didn't enter in the conversation of why it's currently impossible to do so. But I hope someone in the forum can put some lights on my situation.

Also, is there a list of all the "portable" phone numbers that we can consult before hand ?

The poor man, Éric.

P.S.: Any chances to have a refund on config file then ?

Though we have free calling to most areas covered under the 1450 area, we do not have the ability to port numbers there as we've not been able to acquire CLEC status in that area; the market is simply too small. The market I am referring to does not have anything to do with population, it is with the carriers. In order for us to port and subsiquently host a number from an area, we first need a point-of-presence in that area and we've not been able to acheive that yet.

If you purchased the entire bundle together, and you mentioned your telephone number was 1-450-961-xxxx during the initial sales call I would give it a good change, however I have not been in the call center world for a few months and quite a lot has changed.

Thanks for your quick answer. It's really appreciated. I'm sad that I can't be part of FPL (or Fongo) customers.

No I didn't buy a bundle at first. I bought bit by bit, to see how things were working, and everything seemed fine until today! *BANG!* haha!

That's why I was wondering if there's any resources online that a futur constomer can consult to be sure that he can port his current number to Fongo. I'll probably still refer some friends to your services, you're great!

Éric

I'll see what can be done about a number eligability check of some sort, I certainly see it's usefulness. It's a matter of finding someone with enough time to spare to have it built and kept updated, sinec we're in the middle of a big transition, spare time is scarcely had by anyone.

Don't give up on it yet. We are always expanding our coverage areas and what we port and areas we can provide for free. Another option would be to take the new number with freephoneline (but, ultimately giving up your current number. And i am in the call center)
If you mentioned that it is a 450 area code when you called in, call us again and we can look into what we/may be able to do for you in this case.

FONGO_kris wrote:I'll see what can be done about a number eligability check of some sort, I certainly see it's usefulness. It's a matter of finding someone with enough time to spare to have it built and kept updated, sinec we're in the middle of a big transition, spare time is scarcely had by anyone.

Kris: I would second this, even if it is a tax on resources, as it would be EXTREMELY useful for potential customers to check to see if they are ELIGIBLE to port.

As for the database, the initial set up would be the hard part, but the maintenance should be simple if it is done as POP's are added, and as the tariff is updated --- I am assuming that whatever has been put in place to update the tariff could also parse the data of new NPA-NXX's in POP'd-areas, so that a simple NPA-NXX lookup would determine eligibility .... and tied into the tariff system, adding a new POP (which would add the LCA to free calling) would also be easy ...

I hope I am not oversimplifying things ....

Obviously, there is the raw data somewhere .... so then you would have an output something like this:

<NPA><NXX><PROV><R-CTR><CARRIER><LCA><RATE><POP Y/N><PORT Y/N>
604--594--BC--Newton--Telus--METRO VANCOUVER--FREE--noPOP--port
604--831--BC--Vancouver--Telus Mobility--METRO VANCOUVER--FREE--POP--port
604--850--BC--Abbotsford--Telus--ABBOTSFORD--FREE--noPOP--noPORT
604--795--BC--Chilliwack--Telus--CHILLIWACK--$0.02--noPOP--noPORT


Or something along those lines ....

Someone would need to know things, such as that in the Metro Vancouver area, even though FPL POP's are only technically in the ratecentres of VANCOUVER, RICHMOND, NEW WESTMINSTER, NORTH VANCOUVER, WEST VANCOUVER, there is full portability within the WHOLE LCA, and numbers out of NEWTON for example, can be ported to/from VANCOUVER or any of the other cities within that LCA .....

But those fine points aside, yes, an online checker of eligibility would be awesome and should receive serious consideration, even if it is AFTER the big transition is done!

And --- we do need to somehow get the tariff up to speed too -- poor Steve is still manually bailing out the leaky ship!

esenterre wrote:Thanks for your quick answer. It's really appreciated. I'm sad that I can't be part of FPL (or Fongo) customers.

Well, if you have the ATA and the config file, then you ARE part of the community -- you may not have ported your number, but you do have _AN_ fpl/fongo # that you can use for outgoing/incoming calls, even if it is not really your LOCAL number ... or did I misread this somehow?

Not a fully working setup, per se, for your needs, but a working one nonetheless.

I completely agree with TheHardy's comment, not all of our customers jump in feet-first with all eggs ... telephone numbers... in one basket. There are certainly some people from Halifax here who've not been able to port their numbers but still enjoy the free service

TheHardy wrote:

esenterre wrote:Thanks for your quick answer. It's really appreciated. I'm sad that I can't be part of FPL (or Fongo) customers.

Well, if you have the ATA and the config file, then you ARE part of the community -- you may not have ported your number, but you do have _AN_ fpl/fongo # that you can use for outgoing/incoming calls, even if it is not really your LOCAL number ... or did I misread this somehow?

Not a fully working setup, per se, for your needs, but a working one nonetheless.

You're right! And I'll probably use this phone number on my kids iPod or something like that. That'll still be useful.

esenterre wrote:You're right! And I'll probably use this phone number on my kids iPod or something like that. That'll still be useful.

Yes ... still good for outgoing calling (the free zone is good) ... and whenever Fongo manages to launch, look for there to be an increase in both free calling areas, and also locations in which DID's (real phone numbers) are offered ... who knows, Terrebonne might even be included ... although I might not hold my breath on it ...

Being that Terrebonne is a local call to Montreal anyways, it isn't all that bad ... for all intents and purposes, doesn't a Montreal-based number serve all your purposes anyways? Probably has a larger local calling area than a Terrebonne #, or are there are few smaller areas that are not reachable from the Montreal #?

<edit: checked localcallingguide.com and the entire LCA of Terrebonne is mirrored and MORE in the LCA of Montreal --- so wouldn't having a Montreal-based # be better for you anyways??>

Yes, in thoery. But I have this phone number for more than 15 years, you know. Changing that number will be a pain in the *** for lots of things.

although it may difficult and annoying at first, in the long run you end up saving a lot of money. You may even be able to set something up through your current provider (maybe for a small fee) to have a recording play over the course of the first month giving your new phone number if anyone tried to call you at that number (this feature would be up to the sole discretion of your current phone provider)

I have had a FPL Ottawa phone number for three years hoping porting my number would someday be possible. I kept my Bell phone all that time as I too was concerned about changing number for many reasons. 4 months ago I moved (in the same city) and decided to ditch my Bell and only keep FPL. Not only don't I have any regrets but I should have done it much sooner. Over it all it can only be a smart move.

P.S. I'm in a city that its situation ressembles a lot like yours. All I really lost was a town in my call center and it's the one my in-laws live. Now it's a long distance both for me and for them... and I cannot be better as it means we call each other much less

I'm coming back, a few years later, just to see if this number is now portable to FreePhoneLine ?

Unfortunately not, but the looks of it.

This page has a list of the places they can port from, and I can't see Terrebonne on there.

https://support.fongo.com/hc/en-us/arti ... 366#quebec

Sorry it's not the news you were after.