Why all other VoIP providers and not FPL

[callopsitte_himself]

How is it that all other VoIP providers have certain cities in their coverage list and not FPL. For example St-Jérôme Qc is offered by all other Canadian providers but not FPL. My thoughts are that the routes exist so it shouldn't be trouble.

I know that FPL is free and therefore there is a question of costs (most being about obtaining numbers). But I've just seen some providers who although they cannot offer new numbers they still can port in those cities. And for a fact I know it's possible (from mistake done by FPL and Bell forporting my sister in law's number while it shoudn't have. My lucky sister in law is the only person in this region to have FPL with her old Bell number). So maybe there are costs to that but must not be so much. Maybe the person who wanted his number ported beside the porting fee could also pay a certain amount to have that done (his number routed to the nearest switch that FPL has access to). In the long run The subscriber would win having a free phone line and FPL having a new customer.

Thanks for answer (tere are two questions in this post).

[FONGO_kris]

In telecom there are two types of service areas, those we can cover local calling in (Defined by LCA) and those areas where LNP (Local Number Portability) can be provided. In many cases these area overlap, in the example you gave, we can provide both LCA and LNP to Alfred, ON, but not to Hawkesbury, ON, thus leaving the user with the difficult question of "I can call there, so why can't I port my number there as well?".

Perhaps I am missing the second question; however, moving a number from one LCA to the next closest switch would simply result in that particular number adopting that switches LCA (This would be for regular PSTN numbers as they are restricted by their local calling area much more than say freephoneline.ca DID's).

[callopsitte_himself]

Kris, you answered the 2nd question. I knew about LCA and LNP but the end of your answer is what I'm asking to understand. And about Alfred rises another question.

When my sister in law got her Alfred number it was said to be a mistake that FPL corrected as it was «then» not portable. I still don't see Alfred anywhere in FPL. Yet you are now saying 613-679-XXXX are now portable to FPL?

Kris wrote:

however, moving a number from one LCA to the next closest switch would simply result in that particular number adopting that switches LCA

That is exactly what I'm asking. Let's take Hawkesbury for example. Why can't FPL port my 613-632-XXXX (I guess it's costs), but what if I could choose to pay a small fee (over the one for porting) and accept that my local calling area would change a bit? Wouldn't that be profitable for FPL and the customers who chose to do so?

Second or third question (it's in fact the 1st one of my initiative post lol).

How is it that all other VoIP providers have certain cities in their coverage list and not FPL. For example St-Jérôme Qc is offered by all other Canadian providers but not FPL. My thoughts are that the routes exist so it shouldn't be trouble.

.

[FONGO_kris]

When my sister in law got her Alfred number it was said to be a mistake that FPL corrected as it was «then» not portable. I still don't see Alfred anywhere in FPL. Yet you are now saying 613-679-XXXX are now portable to FPL?

I can answer this question if you direct an email to me (Under my profile details, little envelope icon').

That is exactly what I'm asking. Let's take Hawkesbury for example. Why can't FPL port my 613-632-XXXX (I guess it's costs), but what if I could choose to pay a small fee (over the one for porting) and accept that my local calling area would change a bit? Wouldn't that be profitable for FPL and the customers who chose to do so?

You are correct, for the majority, it is most always all about financial feasibility when talking of service expansion other than the politics of it all. It would in fact be profitable for us at freephoneline.ca, yes; however the 'small fee' would involve monthly and usage based charges which are avoided with our on-net coverage areas (On-net is completely free and sometimes profitable for us depending on the local carrier agreements with termination fees), and is also is in complete contradiction of wanting to move away from the major carriers... Pesky monthly bills! The LCA would change to that of Ottawa, ON thus disallowing quite a few locations in the province of Quebec and some more rural areas of Ottawa, ON - Again, the granular specifics of your situation can be directed to me via email; the forum is not an appropriate place to be discussing such things so specific to your account.

How is it that all other VoIP providers have certain cities in their coverage list and not FPL. For example St-Jérôme Qc is offered by all other Canadian providers but not FPL. My thoughts are that the routes exist so it shouldn't be trouble.

Again I turn to the financial feasibility of service expansion and availability. Most other VOIP providers that can provide such a large coverage area also charge for services given, while freephoneline.ca remains free of any charges associated with in and outbound calling, in the (far, unforeseeable) future freephoneline.ca might offer the option of subscribing on a monthly basis for an expanded coverage area, however currently that is done through calling vouchers and is not available for a flat-rate package.