What is a Firm Order Commitment (FOC)?

Written on Jan 21, 2022.

What is a Firm Order Commitment (FOC)?

An FOC (Firm Order Commitment) is a confirmation from a current service provider that a Service Order to port a telephone number will be fulfilled, stating the date that the current carrier will comply with the request stated in the Service Order.

FOCs may not be applicable when switching mobile phone numbers. Depending on the phone carrier, this may require a different process.

What Does FOC Mean

An FOC is provided by the losing service provider (also may be known as current service provider). This is done in response to a port order issued to them to move a number from that providers’ network to another (known as the winning or new service provider) service providers’ network. A FOC is a positive order acceptance response and includes the date the losing/current carrier will release the number to port to the winning/new service provider.

An FOC can refer to landline phone services as well as internet services relevant to that line, such as DSL. In the case of LECs (Local Exchange Carriers), an FOC is specifically related to the movement of a port from one provider to another. For example, if you want to switch your home phone service from Verizon to AT&T, then Verizon will issue an FOC. In this case, the FOC is a commitment that the telephone number in question will be ported to the new provider at a certain date or time.

FOCs may not be applicable when switching mobile phone numbers. Depending on the phone carrier, this may require a different process.

What is a FOC date

What are the different LNP Status Updates

Exemption - Means your order was rejected by the losing or existing service provider and you must provide the updated information they are requesting.   This could be for a wrong address, wrong business name, wrong authorized contact etc…

SUP - This means the order has been resubmitted.  For example, going from an Exception to a SUP means the order was updated with your new information

What is LNP (Local Number Portability)?

Local Number Portability (LNP), also known as number portability and number porting, enables end users to keep their telephone number when switching from one telecommunications service provider to another. Prior to the introduction of LNP, changing service providers meant having to get a new telephone number. Number porting changed that, making it possible for consumers to retain the same telephone number.

LNP Highlight Dates:

• 1996: Telecommunications Act signed into law, opening local markets to competition
• 1996: FCC First Report and Order, Docket 95-116 provided the regulatory framework to make LNP a reality
• 1997: LRN method adopted by FCC as the de facto industry standard
• 1997: Request for Proposal released for the NPAC Service Management System to support the implementation of Number Portability in one Chicago, Illinois, LATA
• 1997: Seven U.S. databases established coinciding with the seven original Bell Operating Company regions; first number ported in Maryland
• 1997: Neustar (then CIS, an operating division of Lockheed Martin) becomes the sole provider of NPAC services for all seven LLCs and the Canadian LNP Consortium
• 1998: Canada NPAC established
• 1998: LNP implemented in the top 100 MSAs  by the end of 1998; outside of the top 100 MSAs, a service provider must implement LNP after receiving a bona fide request to do so
• 2003: Wireless number portability implemented

Please remember to keep Bulk Solutions in mind for your telecommunication needs where we value Quality and Reliability above all else.