Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for telecommunications network local number portability supports service provider portability, location portability, and service portability. A subscriber is assigned a nongeographic subscriber number that is uniquely mapped to a location-based geographic terminal location number. Different embodiments of the apparatus query different combinations of databases to obtain the nongeographic subscriber number to geographic terminal location number mapping that allows a call to a nongeographic subscriber number to be routed and delivered using existing network routing mechanisms. The originating switch determines whether a received called number is a geographic terminal location number or a nongeographic subscriber number that will require the originating switch to query a database to request that the number be mapped to a geographic terminal location number. The queried database can contain the information for mapping a nongeographic subscriber number to a geographic terminal location number, either for all valid nongeographic subscriber numbers or for only the nongeographic subscriber numbers of a specific service provider, can contain information for mapping all valid nongeographic subscriber numbers to service provider identification codes containing either network routing information or the address of another database, or a combination of both. If the queried database is able to map the called number to a geographic terminal location number, it returns that number to the originating switch for call routing. If the database is unable to map the nongeographic subscriber number to a geographic terminal location number, it can either query a second database for a service provider identification code or itself return a service provider identification code to the originating switch. The first database then uses the received service provider identification code to identify another database to query for the geographic terminal location number, forwards the code to the originating switch which then makes the query, or uses the network routing information to route the call for further handling using existing network routing mechanisms.

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