Did numbers

[aesteve]

Hello,

I´m lose whith the did numers or geografic numbers :

1.- You buy a did number to a VoIP provider. For example Spain, Valencia 96.333.33.33

2.- Somebody call´s to this number throught a Pstn line or VoIP line

3.- Who say that this number is my line if all i have is a VoIP number ?. Because this geografic numer belongs to Telefónica de España in my case.

Is Telefónica de España ( in my case ) behind this and Telefonica de España routes the calls trought SoftSwitch to the VoIP provider ?

If is this right, why the calls are more easy , leave to charge maintenance of the line and more advantages of the VoIP ?

Is Telefonica loosing clientes and Telefonica is helping to do it ?

I don´t understand this. ¿ Somebody knows how works this ?.

Thanks.

 

[leejor]

When you "buy" a number from a VoIP provider you will get a number from a range that has been assigned to that provider...unless...you are "transferring" your service (number) from another company to the VoIP provider. This is called Number Portability. What type of numbers you can port will vary from country to country. Some places, for example (most parts of Canada), allow you to "port" a mobile number to a land line (PSTN) or vice-versa since there is no difference in area codes between the two.

Some just allow a mobile number to be transferred to another mobile provider or a land line to a VoIP or another land line (cable?) provider. When a number is ported a database of where/how to route the call has to be updated with the information as to which provider now has the customer using that number.

Going with a VoIP provider allows you to move the number to various physical locations, anywhere in the world, in most cases, as long as you have access to a high speed internet connection. You are no longer tied to the end of the copper cable pair coming from your local telephone central office.

All of this has come about because of regulations in each country allowing competition. I'm sure, given the choice, most established phone companies would rather NOT give up any phone numbers or customers.

 

[aesteve]

Ok, and thank you very much.

Who assign the range number to the VoIP provider ?. This geografic number doesn´t exist physicaly in any tradicional phone company ?

regards

 

[aesteve]

In post one, when i say " easy" i was said " cheap ". Sorry my english.

 

[leejor]

Once again, this will vary from country to country. There is usually a regulator that will control any allocation of phone numbers to providers. In the UK it is Ofcom http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ofcom In some countries it is still the incumbent phone company.

A new company would apply for a block of numbers, perhaps 1000 or 10,000 depending on how big they think they will grow. They might want 1000 numbers in every major city to begin with. Once they had handed them them out to new customers, they would apply for more. Someone in each country is keeping track of which provider is responsible for each number, much the same way as keeping track of which ISP is allocated to which public IP address, each is given a range for which they accountable.

 

[aesteve]

Ok ok, i understand now.

then I need to know wich company is the competent in Spain. I will ask it in the Spanish forum.

Thanks.