What is the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991?
The FCC implemented the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (the "TCPA") adopted rules, including prohibiting the initiation of telephone calls (other than a call made for emergency purposes or made with the prior express consent of the called party) using automatic telephone dialing systems or an artificial or prerecorded voice to telephone numbers assigned to a paging service, cellular telephone service, specialized mobile radio service, or other radio common carrier service, or any service for which the called party is charged for the call.
What is the Intermodal Ported Telephone Number Service?
Neustar provides two (2) files consisting of lists of intermodal ports of telephone numbers between wireline-to-wireless ports and wireless-to-wireline ports. These files are updated on a daily basis. Neustar provides the service on a password-secured website.
Who should subscribe to the Intermodal Ported Telephone Number Service?
Those customers who are required to comply with the TCPA ruling, and desire to receive the Intermodal Ported Telephone Number data directly from Neustar:
Is my company required to register?
If your company is using automatic telephone dialing systems or an artificial or prerecorded voice to telephone numbers assigned to a paging service, cellular telephone service, specialized mobile radio service, or other radio common carrier service, or any service for which the called party is charged for the call, your company is required to comply with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. You may register directly with Neustar for the Intermodal Ported Telephone Number Service, which will identify the numbers that were previously wireline numbers that have been "ported" (using local number portability) to a wireless telephone service provider. Alternatively, you should seek an authorized reseller of Neustar's data, who can assist you with TCPA compliance.
Protect yourself! Please make sure to ask your vendor if your company is required to register.
What will happen if my company does not comply with the TCPA?
If your company is required to comply with the TCPA (see question immediately preceding this one) and does not, there are significant financial consequences for violating the current FCC ruling. The FCC may impose a fine of $11,000 per incident.
How do I register?
Registering for the Intermodal Ported TN Identification Service is a simple multi-step, Web-based process. Upon completion of the registration process, you will have chosen a user name and password and been assigned an account number. Your account number will be valid for a term of one (1) year, after which time you will need to reapply for the service.
How are different subscribers to the Service classified, and how many subscriptions are they required to purchase?
There are generally three (3) kinds of subscribers (listed below), each of which must sign a User Agreement with Neustar. Different fees apply to businesses and/or individuals depending on their subscriber status, and in one case Neustar charges no fee at all.
What does it mean to purchase a subscription "for myself" or "for my benefit?"
Your purchase of a subscription "for yourself" or "for your benefit" means that you are using the Service so that you yourself can comply with the TCPA when you make telephone calls, whether you use the Service on your own behalf or on behalf of others.
I am unsure whether to classify myself as a "Direct Customer" or as a "Reseller" for the purposes of the User Agreement. How can I decide?
If you sell, assign, lease or otherwise disclose the data that comprises the Service to others, you ARE classified as a reseller, and you will be subject to additional subscription fees for each customer to whom you resell. However, if you make calls on behalf of your customers, and you do not resell the Service to those same customers, you ARE NOT classified as a reseller, and no reseller subscription fees apply.
Can I resell the information?
If you have answered the appropriate reseller questions, have confirmed your intent to resell the information, and have been qualified as a reseller, than you may request the creation of sub-accounts for your customers. Once the sub-account numbers have been issued, you may assign them to your customers. Your customers may then log on to www.tcpacompliance.com, change their passwords and answer the application questions, certifying how they themselves intend to use the information obtained from Neustar.
I have registered for the Service as a Direct Marketer, but I am in the process of changing my business model to become a reseller. Can I change my registration status?
Yes. However, to change your previously chosen registration status, you must re-register and pay corresponding fees. In other words, you must log on to the website again, indicate your acceptance of the terms of the User Agreement, answer the seven questions applicable to resellers, certify how you intend to use the information you receive from Neustar, and fund your subscription. In turn, each of your future reseller clients also must access the website and agree not to resell the information (as stated in the FAQ immediately preceding this one).
You will be charged an additional registration fee of $1,400 for your new reseller subscription and $900 for each additional subscription you request for your clients. Neustar will not waive, prorate or refund charges for registered customers who wish to change their status while their subscriptions are active.
Am I reselling the Service if all I do is make calls on behalf of my customers?
No. A Direct Customer subscription allows you to call on behalf of yourself and/or on behalf of your customers, so long as you do not sell, assign, lease, or otherwise disclose the data that comprises the Service.
If I make phone calls on behalf of a client to generate sales leads (or something similar), can I disclose the results of said calls to my client, including the telephone numbers?
A direct customer of the Service is allowed to disclose to clients the results of the calls it makes on behalf of those clients (e.g., leads generated, survey results, applications for products/services, etc.), including the associated telephone numbers. However, the direct customer cannot simply provide confirmation to their client(s) that a telephone number was ported to a wireless service, as that would constitute a "disclosure" to an entity that has not executed a User Agreement as a resale customer by another entity that is neither qualified as a reseller nor paying the reseller fee.
My company wants to provision multiple database systems. Do I need more than one subscription to the Service?
Yes. As a subscriber, your rights to the Service are limited to one (1) system, and you must purchase additional subscriptions to cover each additional system you intend to provision. (This requirement only applies if you are a Direct Customer, or a Reseller using the Service for your benefit or on behalf of others.)
Does my subscription cover multiple departments within my company?
Yes. If a company has purchased a subscription to the Service, every department within that company has rights to the Service. However, these rights DO NOT extend to affiliates (i.e., subsidiaries, parent company, etc.)
If your company provisions more than one system, every department within your company has rights to the Service for each system, so long as the company purchases separate subscriptions for each system.
Does my subscription cover my affiliates (i.e., subsidiaries, parent company, etc.)?
No. Rights to the Service are limited to each legal entity (i.e., company) that purchases a subscription. If your affiliate(s) desire(s) access to the Service, then each affiliate must qualify for the Service and execute a separate User Agreement with Neustar. However, you DO NOT need a separate subscription for your affiliates if (1) you make or intend to make calls on their behalf, and (2) you only provision your own systems.
How do I access the files?
Once your application and registration is completed, you will have access to the necessary files through the TCPA Compliance website. You may log in using your user ID and password, click on the "Download Files" button, and access the appropriate files.
When are the files available? How often can I access the files?
Upon completion of your application, registration and subscription purchase, the files are available to you when you log into the TCPA Compliance website. The files are updated and available on a daily basis, and you may download them as often as your business requires the most current information.
In what format are the files made available?
The format of the file is an ASCII file with two (2) fields delimited by a pipe '|'. The first field is the 10-digit telephone number, and the second field is an optional four-digit number if a number range was ported. For example:
I notice there are several different files (lists of numbers) available for download. Which should I choose?
We offer four files daily. The text (TXT) files contain the most complete list of numbers, and they are updated every day at midnight (GMT). The No Range .txt files are the same identical files, but have the ranges broken down and filled in. The zip file contains all four files, and the user should not have to download the zip file unless they want to look at old versions of both types of files.
Is there a fee to obtain the files?
There is a nominal administrative fee for obtaining a subscription. The charge to set up a master account subscription will be $1,400, and a fee of $900 will be charged for each sub-account associated with the master.
Do I need special software?
No.
How can I automate the file download process?
Click here to view an example of a script a customer can employ to automate the file download process. This particular script uses freeware that is pre-installed on most Linux boxes. For information about other platforms, email WDNCINFO@neustar.biz.
Please note that Neustar makes no representations or warranties concerning the suitability or accuracy of this or any other script intended for automating the downloading process.
Who can I call for additional information about the Service or the Registration Process?
For general questions regarding the Intermodal Ported Telephone Service, you may contact a Neustar representative via phone at (866) 623-2262 or via email at WDNCINFO@neustar.biz.