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Porting problem from 906 area code to Google Voice

Started by Drewby, September 26, 2014, 01:22:21 PM

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Drewby

I bought an Obi110, and I've been holding off porting my landline to a mobile and then to GV until I knew Google Voice was providing support. Now that there's the green light on support, I've discovered a new problem. I live in the 906 area code, and it appears (based on this page: https://www.google.com/voice/porting?pli=1) that Google Voice doesn't support my area code. Is anyone aware of a workaround? Thanks.

SteveInWA

Hi Drewby:

Google Voice does not port in landlines, period.  If you want to try a workaround, you can first port your landline out to a prepaid mobile carrier (e.g. GoPhone or T-Mobile, not one of the rinky-dink carriers).  Wait at least a few days, or better yet, a week, for the carrier databases to get updated, and then read and follow the instructions and FAQs on the page I linked below.  Disclaimer:  there is no guarantee that your number will be portable, even after it becomes a mobile number.  Portability is based on the local exchange in which your number is hosted, and you can't determine portability until it is a mobile number, and you enter it into Google's number porting page.

https://support.google.com/voice/answer/1065667

Note that the number one reason that eligible ports fail, is incorrect account identification submitted by users.  If you use GoPhone, for example, your account number isn't displayed anywhere to you, their customer.  You need to contact them, and specifically ask for the account number and PIN needed to authenticate your account for porting out their number.

Drewby

Hi, Steve. Yes, I'm aware that Google Voice doesn't port landlines, but here's the deal. If Google doesn't like my area code, will it make any difference? I could port my landline to a mobile, sure, but if I can already tell GV doesn't like "906," will porting the number to a mobile phone make any difference? That's what I'm not sure I understand. If GV says Google doesn't support that number, then porting my landline to a cell phone won't make any difference, will it? I'm just waking sure I understand. I appreciate your insight.

SteveInWA

I think you are misinterpreting the error message from GV's porting page.  It's going to error out because you have entered a land line number, regardless of area code.  Google does support every area code in the 48 contiguous US states, just not land lines.  The potential issue will be whether or not GV's carrier partners can port in a mobile number in your specific local calling exchange, as determined by the first 7 digits:  NPA-NXX-Y, where Y is the first digit of the last four.  You won't know that until you convert your land line into a mobile number, and wait long enough for the carrier database to be updated to recognize it as such.  So, in other words, portability is determined at the number block level (Y), not at the area code level.

It's up to you if you would like to take that gamble or not.

Drewby

Oh! Thank you, Steve. So it is "possible" that GV will support my number when "906" is on a mobile phone? I wish I knew someone who already had that area code on a mobile phone. Any way I can be more assured that the headache might work? I noticed that GV doesn't support "907" in Alaska, for example. Is there any way I can double check that "906" may work if coming from a cell phone?

Yep, I guess I misunderstood that porting page. Thank you for your help. I really want to take the leap. I even have the Obi 110, but now I'm feeling a bit gunshy that this process isn't going to work for me. I wish there was a way to know ahead of time whether the gamble will work. Any ideas to give me more assurance? For example, I read an article about porting a number using the GoPhone. The author said that a landline number would probably work if AT&T gives the green light here: http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/transferyournumber.html?_requestid=2134659.

I get the green light with my landline number. By the way, my number is current being servied by AT&T Uverse, but I would really like to cut the cord. Thanks.

Drewby

Oh, I forgot to add. I do have a Tracfone on the 906 area code in addition to my landline number. GV still gives me this message: "Ooops! This number appears to be from an area we don't currently support." Is that a bad sign?

SteveInWA

It's just a coincidence that 906 and 907 are one digit apart.  Google Voice only supports numbers located within the 48 contiguous US states (so, not in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, USVI, etc.).

As I mentioned previously number portability into GV is based not on area code, but at a much lower level, down to the nine-thousand+ number block level.

There is no way to guarantee or even guess whether your number will be portable until you roll the dice and port it over to GoPhone, and wait a week.  Sorry, but number portability is a complex subject, and it depends on Google's telephone carrier partners, who are independent companies with their own equipment and presence (or no presence) in various exchanges around the country.

If you do decide to go for it, and you do use GoPhone, one crucial step is that you will need to contact GoPhone customer care when you are ready to port, and specifically ask them for the account number to use for porting purposes.  It is not displayed anywhere visible to you -- you need to ask for it.  Also, the PIN you will need is the PIN used to access your account details on their website.

Taoman

Quote from: Drewby on September 30, 2014, 12:38:16 PM
Oh, I forgot to add. I do have a Tracfone on the 906 area code in addition to my landline number. GV still gives me this message: "Ooops! This number appears to be from an area we don't currently support." Is that a bad sign?

Yes, that is a bad sign. Doesn't matter if you port to a cell phone first. Google Voice does not support your area so you are out of luck just like I am.

If you were trying to port a landline directly into GV from an area that they did support you would see this kind of error message:

Quote from: Google VoiceOoops! We currently don't support porting from your carrier. We apologize and are working on adding support for more carriers.

SteveInWA

What are the first 7 digits of the Uverse number you want to port?  And what are the first 7 digits of the Tracfone's number?

Drewby

Is it okay to post that number here? I'm not sure about safety, security, etc.

SteveInWA

Quote from: Drewby on September 30, 2014, 02:26:40 PM
Is it okay to post that number here? I'm not sure about safety, security, etc.

You can Private-Message them to me if you wish...just the first 7 digits, like 906-123-4xxx


SteveInWA

#12
Well, you didn't tell me you live in BFE :o

Unfortunately, Mr. Taoman is right.  The entire 906-774 number block is owned by AT&T (formerly Ameritech), and Google's partner doesn't have a switch anywhere in that block to host the number.

Reminds me of the small BFE town my sister calls home in rural Ohio.  Your only alternative is to try to find a new GV number somewhere else in the country.  Sorry!

Taoman

From Google's Google Voice support forums:

Quoteif the message you get is Ooops! This number appears to be from an area we don't currently support.
you will not be able to port your number to Google Voice.

if your message is Ooops! We currently don't support porting from your carrier. We apologize and are working on adding support for more carriers.
then  your phone is still being recognized as a landline but may be a good sign that you could port first to a mobile carrier then to Google.

SteveInWA

Quote from: Taoman on September 30, 2014, 02:41:27 PM
From Google's Google Voice support forums:

Quoteif the message you get is Ooops! This number appears to be from an area we don't currently support.
you will not be able to port your number to Google Voice.


It wasn't clear to me if Drewby got that error on just the Tracfone or on the uverse number, too.  But in this case, the particular NPA-NXX range doesn't even have any CLEC presence, so no GV for you.

Drewby

Thanks, guys.  :'( This is what I feared, but now at least I have an answer. BFE? What does that stand for?

Drewby

Forgot to add that my GV number is for Green Bay, Wisconsin, which is more than an hour from where I live. When I originally got my GV number, there was nothing for 906.

SteveInWA

Quote from: Drewby on September 30, 2014, 04:07:01 PM
Thanks, guys.  :'( This is what I feared, but now at least I have an answer. BFE? What does that stand for?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=BFE

..laughing with you, not at you...

Drewby

Ah, thanks for the education. I really appreciate your help. Otherwise I'd probably be taking that risk you told me about and really regretting it. Now I get the fun task of trying to switch over to my GV number, but hey, it could be worse. My Obi110 works great, and I can still cut the cord, just not with the number I've had for the last seventeen years. So we'll see how it goes. Thanks again.  :)

JeffandAngie

I bought an Obi200, but discovered that Google Voice does not offer any numbers in the 906 area code, which is a fairly rural part of Michigan. So I borrowed an old phone from a neighbor and went to the AT&T store to get a new local phone number ($15 for 60 minutes prepaid on a Go Phone). I went to port that number to Google Voice, and discovered that you cannot port a 906 number to Google Voice either.

After much searching around, I found some other VoIP providers that did provide support in the 906 area code, but most were a lot more expensive than what I had planned for (free with GV). I finally settled on Callcentric, which offers coverage in the 906 area code, and also offered separate incoming and outgoing rate plans for under $2/month each, plus 1-2 cents/minute for calls. As this is just a backup line anyway, that works for me. 911 service is provided for the outgoing line. I'm still waiting on my Go Phone number to port over to Callcentric at this point.