Consumer Advisory Regarding your VRS and IP Relay 10-Digit Telephone Number:
As of December 31, 2008 all internet-based VRS and IP Relay Service providers are required to assign a local 10-digit telephone number to you, their customer. In order to acquire a 10-digit telephone number, you must first register with a VRS and/or IP Relay provider of your choice. The 10-digit telephone number looks like the one you were assigned by your local telephone company or wireless provider but will allow you to make and receive calls using VRS and/or IP Relay services without having to use IP addresses. Your 10-digit number can be transferred to or from VRS and/or IP relay Service providers as well as: Wireless carriers, Cable providers, a local telephone company, or VoIP carriers. This process, called porting, can be done by contacting the VRS or IP Relay Service provider that you want to become your new provider.
Registering for your number: What is a local 10-digit telephone number? The 10-digit telephone number being described here is a number just like your home or Blackberry telephone number. It has 10 digits (numbers) that look like 123-456-7890. When you started telephone service, your local telephone company gave you a number. When you purchased your Blackberry, your dealer gave you a number for your Blackberry. This 10-digit number is a different number to use with VRS and IP relay service.
Why is the new 10-digit number needed? This new 10-digit number is required by the FCC to make VRS and IP relay calls. Each VRS or IP relay user must register with one or more Providers.
What if you use more than one VRS or IP relay service? If you wish, you may contact each VRS or IP relay service provider that you use and ask for a new number from each one.
Why do you need to keep your registration information current for each 10 digit number? In the case of emergency the registered address will be used for E911.
Transferring your 10 digit number: This process is called porting
Here are important items the FCC wants you to consider:
1) Ask your new provider what features are and are not available. Make sure the services and features you want and need are available.
2) The transfer is not immediate.
3) If you move from state to state, check with your new provider to determine if you need a new local 10-digit number.
4) When you move and/or change your number, you must register your location information (name and address) with your new provider. This is very important for E-911 service to work properly.
5) As noted above, during the porting process to your new provider, there may be a period of mixed service - when your 10-digit telephone number may be registered with two providers .
During this time period, your E911 service may be affected. The call should go through, but the 911 operator may not be able to call you back if the call gets disconnected. For this reason, before porting either a wireless or a wireline number, ask your new provider how long the porting process will take and how it will affect a 911 call.
If you transfer your local home or business telephone number to a VRS and/or IP Relay Service provider, you, and other hearing individuals that use this number, may lose features and functionality that rely on telephone connectivity, such as dial-up, broadband (e.g., DSL or FiOS), or VoIP internet connection, fax capability, voice mail capability, home/business alarm system monitoring, medical monitoring capability, and credit card authorization systems.
If you transfer your local home or business telephone number to a VRS and/or IP Relay Service provider, you will lose TTY access to your State Relay or TTY to TTY calling. If you transfer your wireless (pager) service number to a VRS and/or IP Relay Service provider, you may lose the use of your wireless pager completely, including any features normally accessed by the device such as customized text relay applications, AOL Instant Messaging, e-mail access, and web browsing capability.
If you transfer your VRS and IP Relay Service number to a local home or business telephone or wireless service provider you may lose access to VRS or IP relay services, features such as video or text mail.
If you transfer your VRS and/or IP Relay Service number from one VRS and/or IP Relay Service provider to another VRS and/or IP Relay Service provider, you may lose some or all provider-specific relay features.
If you transfer your VRS and/or IP Relay Service number from VRS to IP Relay service within the same VRS and/or IP Relay Service provider you may lose video service functions and capabilities.
If you transfer your VRS and/or IP Relay Service number from IP Relay service to VRS within the same VRS and/or IP Relay Service provider you may lose access to all text relay service functions and capabilities.
Before changing VRS and/or IP Relay Service providers do not cancel service with your current provider until you have registered with your new provider. You must contact your new provider who will begin the transfer process by contacting your existing provider on your behalf. Your new provider will ask you to provide specific information such as your name, street address, city, state, zip code, 10-digit telephone number, and other information as required by your new provider. Your new provider will require you to sign a letter of authorization in order to begin the transfer process. If your current provider is not an VRS and IP Relay Service provider, you may be required to pay local telephone early termination fees, cable contract early termination fees, wireless service contract early termination fees, and any outstanding balance due.
Please refer to
FCC Consumer Facts for additional information on transferring service.
To dowlnoad full details of the FCC order on 10-digit numbering, click
here .
To read the FCC Consumer Advisory regarding ten-digit numbering, click
here.
IMPORTANT information about your dynamic IP address: In order to keep your E911 information current and ensure delivery of all your voice-inbound calls, your relay service provider must know the IP address of your registered device AT ALL TIMES. Your IP Address is what 'links' your device to your ten-digit number. Many individuals have a 'dynamic IP address', which means the IP address assigned to your device periodically changes. How often your IP address changes depends on your local Internet Service Provider.
NOTICE: If and when your dynamic IP address changes, the 'link' between your IP Address and ten-digit number becomes broken.
To address this problem and to keep our records current, periodically our system will attempt to connect to your video phone using your registered IP Address. This action will tell us if your dynamic IP address is the same or has changed.
If we determine your IP Address has changed, you will be notified via email. In the email, you will be directed to a webpage to update your IP Address information. It is crucial you update your IP Address information immediately to avoid interruption of your voice-inbound calls. You may continue to receive daily email reminders until you update your IP address registration information.