The Firm Order Confirmation (FOC) process is defined by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) Ordering and Billing Forum (OBF). The timing requirements for return of the FOC are cited in a number of industry and regulatory documents, including the North American Numbering Council Local Number Portability Administration Working Group’s 3rd Report on Wireless Wireline Integration, dated September 30, 2000, which states, “An LSR is submitted by the NSP (New Service Provider) to the OSP (Old Service Provider). When an LSR is submitted to the OSP, the OSP will return either an error message or a LSC (FOC). SPs are required to provide a LSC/FOC within 24 hours of receiving a LSR.” In addition, in Paragraph 49 of its Memorandum Opinion and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 03-284A1), adopted November 7, 2003, the FCC stated, “the wireline NANC LNP Process Flows establish that the FOC must be finalized within 24 hours of receiving the port request.”

It is the LNPA WG’s position that the return of either the Firm Order Confirmation (FOC) in response to a valid Local Service Request (LSR), or an appropriate error message in response to an invalid LSR, by the Old Service Provider for a simple port request shall not exceed 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays.

At the April 17, 2007 NANC meeting, the LNPA WG submitted this Position Paper in order to bring this issue and the LNPA WG’s position to the attention of the NANC and the FCC.