How does the FCC control toll free numbers?

06/26/2008

When AT&T was broken up in the 80s, toll free numbers came under the control of the FCC. Initially toll free numbers were allocated by exchanges assigned to each carrier. But in 1991, the FCC established the current SMS/800 database making numbers portable from carrier to carrier.

The FCC established the rules, and created the DSMI. The DMSI oversees the 800 Services Management System, aka the SMS or SMS800, which runs the national SMS/800 database. Phone companies that have access into the SMS/800 database are called Responsible Organizations, aka Resporgs.

Although the FCC established rules regarding 800 number warehousing and hoarding of toll free numbers, the FCC does not oversee the assignment toll free numbers and doesn’t have direct access into the toll free number database, which is managed by SMS.

The FCC cannot provide any information about the status of a toll free number or a request for a toll free number on behalf of a customer. The FCC doesn’t reserve or hold numbers or have customer numbers. They are the ultimate arbiter over and can mediate conflicts that arise over the rights of ownership of specific numbers, such as 1-800 RED CROSS or 1-800 SUICIDE.

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    Bill Quimby (612 comments.) says:
    July 22, 2010 at 11:41 pm

    The easiest way to file your complaint is to go to the FCC’s on-line complaint forms found on the FCC Web site at http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. You will be asked a series of questions that will take you to the correct form and section of the form for providing all of the information the FCC needs to process your complaint. You can also file your complaint with the FCC’s Consumer Center by e-mailing fccinfo@fcc.gov; calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to:

    Federal Communications Commission
    Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
    Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
    445 12th Street, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20554.

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      Contacting one of our Customers at TollFreeNumbers.com says:
      October 28, 2008 at 8:16 am

      […] can’t act as brokers or middlemen because of regulations by the FCC against brokering toll free numbers. But if the customer does want to change or release the number […]

        5 reasons why it’s Harder to get a good Toll Free Number than a good Domain Name. at TollFreeNumbers.com says:
        November 12, 2008 at 8:47 am

        […] There are more shadows and less scrutiny by FCC of the more closed nature of toll free numbers and relatively little oversight or monitoring. There […]

          888-SLABJACK for sale? at TollFreeNumbers.com says:
          October 10, 2009 at 7:38 pm

          […] and suddenly wants a significant amount of money for it. I think this is a good example of why the FCC has regulations against hoarding and brokering. The number does have an owner, but it’s probably not an active […]

            Reselling your 800 numbers at TollFreeNumbers.com says:
            January 11, 2010 at 3:52 pm

            […] the way there is for domain names because of the regulations against hoarding and brokering at the FCC. They basically say that you can’t get toll free numbers for the purpose of reselling them […]

              Comparing sites that offer to get 855 numbers at TollFreeNumbers.com says:
              August 25, 2010 at 2:37 pm

              […] are doing. I definitely think Loren Stocker is doing would probably be considered illegal if the FCC reviewed […]

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