RespOrg is short for Responsible Organization, which are carriers that maintain the registration for individual toll-free numbers in their respective country. RespOrgs are responsible for registering the toll-free numbers associated with them within the 800 database. They also facilitate the porting of toll-free numbers between telecom carriers.
Every toll-free number is associated with a RespOrg. While some RespOrgs simply handle the registration and indexing of toll-free numbers, others operate as toll-free carriers, as well, and can sell toll-free numbers to individuals and businesses.
If you wish to port your toll-free number to a new service provider, your current carrier must authorize the release and transfer of the number to the new carrier’s RespOrg. RespOrgs can be large enterprises or operated by a single individual. To ensure your toll-free number is associated with a reputable RespOrg, it helps to know how RespOrgs work, how to change RespOrgs, and how to find RespOrgs for a toll-free number.
Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about RespOrgs, and how you can use them to obtain and transfer toll-free numbers.
How do RespOrgs work?
Before 1993 in the United States, service providers were responsible for their index of toll-free numbers. However, since then, toll-free numbers have been owned by the customers, not the providers. RespOrgs exist to facilitate the porting of toll-free numbers between service providers.
Due to advancements in VoIP technology over the last decade, the need for RespOrgs has increased drastically as many businesses wish to port their toll-free numbers from old carriers to new ones for reasons such as price, features, and customer service.
Many RespOrgs work in conjunction with toll-free carriers, while other toll-free carriers act as RespOrgs themselves and are responsible for their own catalog of toll-free numbers. In order for an entity to become a RespOrg, it must be certified by Somos, Inc., a company that manages registry databases within the telecom industry.
How to change RespOrgs
If you wish to switch carriers but want to keep your existing toll-free number, you will need to port the number from your old carrier to the new one, which means you need to switch RespOrgs.
To do so, you first need to submit a Letter of Authorization to the new carrier, signed by an authorized user on the account and verified by a service address that matches what your current carrier has on file.
Once verified, your new RespOrg will work with your old RespOrg to transfer the toll-free number to the new service provider so that you can keep your old toll-free number with your new carrier.
The process to port a toll-free number from one RespOrg to another can take anywhere from a few days up to a month, depending on how quickly the paperwork can be processed.
How to find a RespOrg
If you are looking to port your existing toll-free number from an existing carrier or are simply looking for a toll-free number with a responsible RespOrg, TollFreeForwarding.com has what you need.
Submit a Letter of Authorization that has been signed and verified, and we will work with your current service provider to transfer your toll-free number. Then, you can enjoy all of the incredible features we offer, such as scheduled forwarding, real-time reporting, and call recording.
Get in touch with TollFreeForwarding.com today to learn more about how to transfer your toll-free number or if you have any further questions about RespOrgs and how they work.
