Wholesale Number Porting, Reimagined

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Number porting is a critical step in almost every large cloud communication project. Porting enables phone numbers to be moved from one telecom provider to another, ensuring that users can keep their existing number when they switch.  

For telecom service providers, fast and accurate number porting is essential for seamless customer onboarding.  

When porting goes well, it makes the transition process feel like magic. But when it goes wrong, it can cause all manner of delays and setbacks.

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Changing the game for wholesale number porting

In Australia, number leasing and porting are governed by industry processes. But they’re process that are firmly rooted in the legacy telecom world.  

When it comes to porting business and enterprise phone numbers, the process is complex and often manual. This means porting can take many days, and can be derailed by simple human error. It’s also arcane, plagued with inscrutable acronyms and tedious nuances.  

Added to all of that, porting relies on the losing carrier working to the same timeline as the gaining carrier – which is not always the case.

At Symbio, we recognise that wholesale number porting is not easy. So, we’re changing the game by giving service providers more control, more information, and greater transparency.

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Self-service number management

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The centrepiece of our approach is the Connect Portal – a self-service portal designed specifically for wholesale and global customers to directly manage their Symbio numbers.

Consumer telecoms will already know that digital self-service is a proven way to decrease customer wait times.  These same lessons can be applied to the wholesale world too.

Using the Connect Portal, Symbio customers can already reserve, lease, and assign numbers to trunks all in one workflow. Now, we’re going further. A range of self-service porting features are in development and will soon be available from the Connect Portal.  

And that’s just the start. We have a long and exciting roadmap with regular quarterly releases. Each upcoming feature is designed with the help of our customers and their feedback.

This ensures that each new addition aligns perfectly with customer needs and exceeds expectations, making the Connect Portal a truly customer-centric solution.

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Porting process automation

In Australia, Category C ports (usually required for moving business or enterprise numbers) can take up to 30 days from submission to cutover. To streamline this process, Symbio has introduced a new self-service feature specifically for Category C porting.  

Now, upon port submission, if any concerns arise from the Losing Carrier, Symbio customers will get those notifications directly, with details on the issue and steps for resolution.

The process of submission and response is called Pre-Port Number Validation (PNV). It protects customers from accidentally cutting off a service tied to their phone number, such as a Fax or IVR, or unintentionally breaking up a number block.

PNV is a porting bottleneck because it relies on the Losing and Gaining carrier passing information to through to the customer. Timeliness is an issue, but so is clarity. PNV concerns are expressed as error codes, which are unhelpful to the layman.

Now, Symbio Customers can autonomously address PNV concerns, bypassing the involvement of Losing and Gaining Carriers, with clear information on what action is needed to resolve the porting concern.  

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Local market documentation

Porting is different in every country. In each local market, there are specific rules and regulations that must be followed to avoid breaking the law or getting fines.  

Understanding the importance of this market knowledge, Symbio provides comprehensive and regularly updated resources. This is especially useful for service providers outside of Australia, or less familiar with the telecom regulations.

Our numbering resources empower customers with the necessary insights to navigate the local telecommunications landscapes effectively. Whether they are seasoned operators or new entrants, customers can make more informed decisions that match their specific needs and goals.

Access to these resources provide customers with the ability to self-service their own customers in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia and other Symbio coverage regions.  

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Expert Service Teams

The complexity of number management, especially across global borders, means that sometimes you just want to talk to an expert. That’s why we maintain expert in-country teams that understand local processes and have relationships with carriers and regulators.

In addition, Symbio Customers are backed by 24x7 service assurance. This is especially useful for service providers with provisioning teams outside of the Asia-Pacific region. Our service assurance teams are on call at all hours should you encounter any network or routing challenges.

Understanding that 88% of customers value their experience as much as the products themselves, we prioritise offering easily accessible and personalised support.  

Our aim is to ensure that all customers receive the assistance they require while navigating automated processes. This team acts as an essential complement to our automated systems, providing an extra layer of support.  

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Reimagine number porting with Symbio

Symbio is revolutionising the porting process for the wholesale telecoms market.  

Our Connect Portal empowers service providers with self-service options, reducing delays and enhancing control over number management.  

With streamlined porting automation, localised market documentation, and expert service teams available 24/7, Symbio ensures a seamless porting experience.  

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