Hi,
I'm from the US. What is the process of getting a block of local numbers assigned to your company to use for VoIP? Do you have to go through your state's government to get these numbers or through the local landline phone company?

Also, what is the cost associated with obtaining the numbers?

First, you become a CLEC in each state you want numbers in. Fees vary from a few hundred to a few thousand per state. This is done through the state utilities or public service commission. Times range from 1 to 24 months for approval. Next, you negotiate your interconnection agreement with the ILEC (Verizon, AT&T, Qwest, etc). This take 45-60 days. You get an OCN, AOCN, SPID, and lots of other codes from various agencies. You get colocation space at a CO (about $10,000 minimum to get setup), setup your switch (anywhere from $5,000 to 500,000) then you run your circuits. You get an SS7 interconnection, SS7 point codes from Telcordia, and then start getting number assignments from NANPA or NPAC depending on how many numbers you need. Wait 45 days for other carriers to get your numbers in their system, then with any luck you can start receiving calls.

I assume you have no desire to do that, so alternatively, you use another CLEC who has already done this or resells larger CLECs (XO, Global Crossing, Level 3). Generally, your local phone company will not support VoIP. You would need to use analog to digital conversion devices like FXOs, FXSs, and PRI gateways.

If you need a block of local numbers you could just order a set of DIDs. I would recommend Future-Nine.com, since with $5 a DID, its pretty affordable.

I would recommend Future-Nine.com, since with $5 a DID, its pretty affordable.

thats actually quite expensive (reseller's reseller price) for a US DID


as Voipcarrier laid out - unless you have a stake at providing phone service in some remote part of the country where there's no LEC - now a days its not worth the hassle. You can just buy DIDs from numerous CLEC provider (L3 not so long ago was selling DIDs for dime a dozen)

in either case - make sure you plan out your E911 capability if these numbers are going to stay in the US

As voipcarrier said, setting up your own CLEC to get a block of numbers is quite spendy, though you may or may not have to colo equipment at the CO to interconnect. Pretty sure that a few of the cellular providers interconnect with Verizon here at somewhere other than the CO. Probably in San Antonio.

Probably the easiest way to get local numbers...if someone has done most/all of that already...is to go to localcallingguide.com, look up your area and see how has numbers there. In mine, there's USA Mobility, ALEC and UTEX as regional/national CLECs go, as well as a legacy CLEC that's now owned by Windstream (that they're doing nothing with). I traced back ALEC to SinglePipe, and so fa they've been the only ones to return my call. They have a block of 1000 numbers here and will have things built out in 90-120 days.

Some areas are more lucky, and have Level3 numbers in them already. At which point you just call up Bandwidth.com, ask them for numbers in that prefix and get a quote.

going through gov't will take time...

you can just use the local numbers for making calls, no need of putting codes as the VOIP will be detecting all things through the connections

I use voxbone, you can get many numbers with sip trunk. Not expensive, very easy to setup....

Didx.net or Voip.ms.

I get my stuff from Vitelity.

I get my stuff from Vitelity.

Vitelity is pretty nice. I use their retail plan and it's fairly affordable. I'm not sure how well they would work out if you're looking for wholesale service though, as I have not looked into their wholesale pricing.

Edit: finished thought.