Issues with available numbers and rate centers

**MacGyverLabs** · 01-29-2010 12:54 AM

Based on previous posts, I was under the impression that the pool of cities and numbers had increased recently.

When creating a new account tonight, I have found that some of the cities I'm used to seeing are no longer available (before, even if they didn't have numbers available, at least the city was available for a search), and others aren't displaying numbers, but continuously display "loading" instead...

Examples:
State: TX City: Austin - Not available in listing
State: TX City: San Marcos - Not available in listing
State: MD City: Columbia (Surrounding Areas) Select a Number: shows "Loading"

Are the enhancements still being loaded, or am I seeing some anomalies that should be addressed?

**usa2k** · 01-29-2010 06:18 AM

I agree.

I've put in a ticket to inform the complete loss of Canadian Virtual numbers, the loss of Wildwood FL, and the Canadian numbers in the Full account creation has again shrunk to it former short list from a robust list.

NPX-553284

All three instances still hold true.

**VOIPoTim** · 01-29-2010 06:51 AM

When we restructured the inventory recently, there were a few changes:

1) Areas which we have no inventory in and our carriers with APIs have no inventory in are removed and re-added nightly when new inventory is available. Previously we had a lot of areas where we did a "To Be Assigned" and would order from alternate carriers. Since all but one of our carriers is integrated into the form now, it's rare that TBA would result in anything now if it's not listed already.

2) In terms of Canada, we're still reviewing the situation. In the past we've had coverage in a handful of Canadian cities via one of our US carriers. We had constant complaints about not being able to port into Canada easily and the limited coverage. People would get very upset because we'd have coverage in a Canadian city smaller than a metro Canadian city, etc.

Our feeling is that if we're going to offer Canadian DIDs, we need to just work with a Canadian carrier for those rather that using the limited coverage offered by a US carrier partner. We're still reviewing it to determine what we're doing with Canada and how deep we want to get into it (if we do much, we'd need to start complying with all Canadian taxation/regulation too).

3) The last thing we did was remove some high-cost areas from the list. This should not be many, but there are some areas where it's just not cost effective to offer service in due to the wholesale CLEC costs being 5x as much as metro areas.

**usa2k** · 01-29-2010 09:03 AM

For Rate Centers you definitely support, I am hoping there is at least a CSV file made available to Resellers. If we are to provide the whole sign-up process on our own website, we will need to have a way to reliably convey what they can order. That does not mean actual inventory, just STATE, CITY, COUNTRY, NPA, NXX, RATE-CENTER.

Also another field that indicates FULL-VIRTUAL-BOTH if there would be exceptions for such availability.

Also another field that informs us of current quantities.

STATE, CITY, COUNTRY, NPA, NXX, RATE-CENTER, FULL-VIRTUAL-BOTH, QTY

And a separate CSV for Forwarded numbers if they will be different.

**VOIPoTim** · 01-29-2010 09:08 AM

The inventory for all the types will be consistently.

I don't think we'd be able to predict quantity or inventory levels. Basically 90% of the areas are pulled from upstream carriers directly via API. I know with one particular carrier all major VoIP providers are pretty much using the API (they claim over 200 using it) so the inventory changes constantly since all are accessing the same pool of numbers. Some areas we carry the inventory in...but not many.

**MacGyverLabs** · 01-29-2010 10:53 AM

Originally Posted by VOIPoTim

...
1) Areas which we have no inventory in and our carriers with APIs have no inventory in are removed and re-added nightly when new inventory is available. Previously we had a lot of areas where we did a "To Be Assigned" and would order from alternate carriers. Since all but one of our carriers is integrated into the form now, it's rare that TBA would result in anything now if it's not listed already.
...

Tim, I would consider Austin a Major Metropolitan Area... how is it that no numbers are available for assignment in a big city such as this. And, when this happens, what should we tell customers (i.e. what are you telling yours)/what should we do next...

1. "Sorry, we don't currently have numbers available in your area" (send 'em somewhere else)?
2. "Let me work on getting you a good number in your area" (reseller calls VOIPo support and asks for additional research to get a number)?

I can certainly understand when numbers aren't available in "po-dunk" wherever (no offense to anyone living or having lived in "po-dunk"), but a MMA? That seems strange.

Just evaluating a strategy... the majority of my business in in Austin and surrounding. If I'm going to run into instances of "sorry, don't have any numbers", that could be a challenge.

**VOIPoTim** · 01-29-2010 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by MacGyverLabs

Tim, I would consider Austin a Major Metropolitan Area... how is it that no numbers are available for assignment in a big city such as this. And, when this happens, what should we tell customers (i.e. what are you telling yours)/what should we do next...

1. "Sorry, we don't currently have numbers available in your area" (send 'em somewhere else)?
2. "Let me work on getting you a good number in your area" (reseller calls VOIPo support and asks for additional research to get a number)?

I can certainly understand when numbers aren't available in "po-dunk" wherever (no offense to anyone living or having lived in "po-dunk"), but a MMA? That seems strange.

Just evaluating a strategy... the majority of my business in in Austin and surrounding. If I'm going to run into instances of "sorry, don't have any numbers", that could be a challenge.

I understand where you're coming from. Austin is definitely a decent size city. HostGator just purchased a new office building in Austin to open another office which will become their headquarter...so I'm familiar with it.

The 2 major carriers we use have no Austin numbers in their API though at this time which is why they're not showing up. Since it's a metro area, I'm assuming inventory should be replenished pretty quickly.

**usa2k** · 01-29-2010 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by VOIPoTim

The 2 major carriers we use have no Austin numbers in their API though at this time which is why they're not showing up.

That supports the need for a CSV file with this minimal criteria:

STATE, CITY, COUNTRY, NPA, NXX, RATE-CENTER

That way it is assured that the numbers can at least be ordered.

**VOIPoTim** · 01-29-2010 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by usa2k

That supports the need for a CSV file with this minimal criteria:

STATE, CITY, COUNTRY, NPA, NXX, RATE-CENTER

That way it is assured that the numbers can at least be ordered.

My concern though is that if the carriers don't have any, then we wouldn't be able to manually order them either. Since there'd be no timeline I was hesitant to let people order them not knowing when the carriers may replenish them (could be a day, could be weeks).

**uhf** · 01-29-2010 12:33 PM

So now the customer will go elsewhere, when possibly they could have gotten a number by becoming a customer and waiting a few days.

I'm just a retail residential customer, but based on the current list of available numbers, I would have not switched from Callcentric to Voipo. Not only is my "podunk" area not listed, but Cedar Rapids, Iowa is not listed. It's the second largest city in Iowa, while some cities of 3,000 people ARE listed. Both areas are covered by Qwest as the ILEC. I assume Paetec (not sure if you are using them, but would guess that you are) is a CLEC that is available at least in Cedar Rapids, not sure of the podunk.

I guess I'm saying that I much preferred the "to be assigned" system rather than the guess if coverage might be available tomorrow/next week system now in place.