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Number Transfer Overview
Covoda allows customers to transfer their existing numbers from previous providers to their new Covoda system. Number transfers can be rejected due to any inaccurate information given in the request—so be sure to follow this checklist closely. Doing so will yield a successful transfer with quicker turnaround.
Number transferring do’s and don’ts
DO be exact. Your information must match exactly what’s on record with your current phone service provider. If the information provided does not match, your transfer will be delayed. Refer to your current bill or contact your current service provider. DON’T cancel your old phone service – yet. It is important that we have confirmed that this has been completed before you cancel your service, as this can affect the transfer request or cancel it. DON’T lose your Broadband service. Make sure that your broadband service isn’t cancelled if being provided by your previous phone provider, or transfer to another provider for broadband. This could cause a longer delay than wanted for your Covoda service to begin.
Tips
- Complete a number transfer request, making sure to note the current carrier and all numbers you would like to transfer to Covoda.
- completion date for the transfer typically take 5-18 days.
- Once the transfer is complete, Covoda will notify you of the completed transfer.
Please remember that the more detail we have with transfer information the sooner we can process the request.
Number Transfer Checklist
Here is a list of items you will need to complete your number transfer:
✓ Your service address: This is the address where the service for your business is actually located.
✓ Company name: The name as it appears with your current service provider.
✓ Your main billing number (BTN): This number can be found on your phone bill or by contacting your current service provider.
✓ Phone numbers: A list of the phone numbers you will be transferring.
✓ Authorized Name: This is the person who is authorized to make changes to the account with your current provider.
✓ Your account number and PIN: This is the account number and PIN for your current account. (Not all accounts require this. Please check with your current service provider.)
✓ Copy of Bill: A copy of a previous bill dated within the last 30 days.
✓ Customer Service Record: Document provided to you by the losing carrier that shows details of each number dated within the last 30 days.
If you have any questions, please email your project manager.
Common Terms
The following terms come up frequently during the number transfer process:
- Letter of Authorization: A document that gives Covoda Communications permission to transfer your number.
- Main billing number: The primary phone number that is used for billing.
- Pending service orders: Changes to your phone service that haven’t gone through yet. They could be requests to add or remove special features or modify your company name or billing address.
- Service address: The address that is listed on your account.
FAQs
Why is the Billing Telephone Number (BTN) needed for a transfer request?
The Billing Telephone Number (BTN) is considered the main number on the account. This number is needed to pull your Customer Service Record (CSR). The CSR will have all the pertinent information needed to transfer numbers (the correct company name, address, and account features that currently exist).
If a transfer request is submitted with the incorrect BTN, it will be rejected for “BTN Mismatch”. If this happens, Covoda’s will contact you to obtain the correct BTN (Billing Telephone Number).
What is a temporary number?
While your phone number is transferring, you can request a new phone number to use on your account temporarily. Contact your current phone provider to have your transferring number forwarded to your Covoda temporary number. You do not need to fill out a cancellation form to have a temporary number removed.
Why are some numbers not transferable?
Our porting partners only have coverage in certain rate centers. If the phone number is currently held in a rate center outside this coverage, we will not be able to transfer the number.
When is E911 information setup?
E911 information for transferred and new numbers is set up within 24 hours of the number being added to your PBX.
Why is my Caller ID still displaying incorrectly after it was fixed?
When Covoda submits a request to update the Caller ID to our transferring partners, they will submit that information to their CNAM database. All carriers pull from a variety of CNAM databases to make sure Caller ID information has been updated correctly. Most carriers take 2-3 business days to update their Caller ID, but there are some cases where they will take up to 2 weeks.
The biggest reason for Caller ID issues is due to carriers not updating their databases correctly or not pulling from the database our partners use. This causes multiple errors, the most common being Caller ID that displays “CITY, STATE” or information that was previously assigned to the number.
When we have issues with Caller ID, it is imperative we gather call examples that show the number from which the call was dialed, the number dialed, the date and exact time, and what Caller ID displayed. We will then take that information and open a ticket with our transferring partner, so they can investigate the issue.
What is E911? Why do we need it?
When someone dials 911 from their Covoda phone, the call is routed to their local PSAP (Public Safety Access-Point). When the operator answers the call, their screen is populated with E911 information including the address and company name information associated with the phone number (the operator will confirm the information is correct).
Without E911 information, calls are routed to the Northern 911 call center. From there, it can take up to thirty minutes to be routed to the right 911 dispatch delaying any emergency services that are needed.
Providing the E911 address is also used to determine which rate center from which Telecom Carrier Management will pull the numbers.
Why do we need a Copy of Bill and Customer Service Record?
The Copy of Bill (COB) is required to prove ownership of the number, which helps us avoid transferring numbers away from other providers without the owner’s permission. This is to protect Covoda, as well as our customers.
To submit a transfer, we need a valid COB or Customer Service Record (CSR). The requirements for these documents are as follows:
COB
- Dated within last 30 days or most recently received copy
- Must be itemized (shows all numbers)
- Must show the billing address and company name
- Must be a full document, not just the first page of the COB
- Must show account number if available
- There are some carriers that do not list out the numbers on their bills. If you cannot obtain a COB that lists all the numbers, we will accept what is provided to you by your carrier.
CSR
- Dated within last 30 days
- Must show all numbers on account
- Does not need to show account number
- Must show all service addresses associated with each telephone number (TN)
- Must show company name for each TN
- Must show all BTNs associated with each number
Please note that these requirements are not just internal with Covoda, but are industry standard.
The CSR is harder to obtain from the losing carrier, as they often do not have a record prepared in their systems. Obtaining a CSR can take an extended period depending on how many numbers and features exist on the account.
How can I speed up the number transferring process?
Review and ensure that all information on your Transfer Request is accurate and up-to-date. We cannot guarantee a quick process, as the losing carrier can reject a request for any reason. If the order is rejected the transferring process starts over which includes the 5-18 business days timeframe.
