All consultants who register as a new PAS user or add OCNs to their existing PAS user profile must have a letter of authorization (LOA) on file for each service provider for whom they intend to submit pooling requests.

The LOA should:

• Be on the company letterhead of the service provider.
• List the authorized consultant’s name (or consultant’s company name).
• Indicate that the consultant is authorized to have access as a user in PAS, and can act on the service provider’s behalf for submission of numbering requests.
• List all OCNs for which the letter applies.
• Have the authorized representative of the service provider’s contact phone number and email.
• Be signed by an authorized representative of the service provider. 
• Must be dated.

We recommend that you query the NPAC to determine if a Thousands-Block is contaminated. For assistance with performing the NPAC queries, contact the NPAC help desk at 844-820-8039.

Another way of determining if a Thousands-Block is contaminated or not, is by going to “Reports” located on the www.nationalpooling.com website. Select “Block Report”, then enter the state, NPA, rate center and select the “Available Blocks” radio button, then click “Continue”.  Under the “Contam (Y or N)” column, if there is a “Y” then the thousands-block has been reported as contaminated. If there is a “N” then the thousands-block has been reported as pristine. 

Section 11.1.8 Blocks Returned in Error, of the Thousands-Block (NPA-NXX-X) & Central Office Code (NPA-NXX) Administration Guidelines (TBCOCAG) describes what steps can be taken to retrieve a Thousands-Block returned in error.   “If a SP returns a Thousands-Block to the PA in error and the Thousands-Block disconnect application has been processed but the Effective Date of the return has not yet passed, the SP may cancel the Thousands-Block return in the Pooling Administration System (PAS).
If a SP returns a Thousands-Block to the PA in error and the Thousands-Block disconnect application has been processed, but the Effective Date of the return has passed, and the Thousands-Block is still Available in the Industry Inventory Pool, the SP may retrieve the Thousands-Block by submitting a Part 1A.”  Refer to Section 11.1.8 for additional details. 

Section 8.3.4e of the TBCOCAG outlines what steps the CO Code Holder must perform prior to donating/disconnecting a Thousands-Block:

e)  confirm, prior to donating/returning any Thousands-Block to the Industry Inventory Pool, that:
1)  all Unavailable TNs (any numbers classified as Administrative, Aging, Assigned, Intermediate, or reserved) within contaminated Thousands-Blocks have been Intra-Service Provider (ISP) Ported;
2)  the Thousands-Block has been protected from further SP number assignment;
3)  the associated Non-pooled CO Code(s) is currently available for call routing, is flagged as Local Number Portability (LNP) capable in the LERG Routing Guide and the NPAC, and the NPA-NXX query triggers are applied in all switches and reflected in the appropriate network databases (e.g., STP routing tables);
4)  the Non-pooled CO Code’s -Assigned Switching Entity/POI is currently LNP-capable and shall process terminating traffic appropriately; and   
5)  interconnection facilities have been established between the Non-pooled CO Code’s Assigned Switching Entity/POI and other interconnecting networks;
6)  the Thousands-Block identified for Donation/return does not contain a test line number.  If a Thousands-Block being donated/returned contains a test line number, the CO Code Holder shall disconnect the test line number before donating/returning the Thousands-Block.  The test line shall be re-Assigned to a number in a Thousands-Block retained by, or Assigned to, the CO Code Holder;
7)  the Thousands-Block identified for Donation/return does not contain a Location Routing Number (LRN). If a Thousands-Block being returned or donated/returned contains an LRN, the CO Code Holder shall migrate any ported numbers or pooled Thousands-Blocks utilizing the LRN to another LRN within a Thousands-Block retained by or Assigned to the CO Code Holder, and delete the LRN from the NPAC and the LERG Routing Guide before donating/returning the Thousands-Block. LRNs shall only be established in Thousands-Blocks retained by, or Assigned to, the CO Code Holder;
8) the Thousands-Block identified for Donation/return does not contain more than 100 Unavailable TNs. This includes the donating/returning CO Code Holder’s Unavailable TNs and all other ported TNs identified in NPAC to other SPs

The FCC permits service providers to maintain up to a six-month inventory.  Any thousands-blocks (ten percent contaminated or less) in your inventory that you do not anticipate using in the next six months should be donated/returned to the pool.

Per Section  17.2.5 of the TBCOCAG:
“When the CO Code is a Non-pooled Central Office (CO) Code (NPA-NXX), the SP shall build the records for any Thousands-Blocks being retained on the NXD screen for the Thousands-Block being donated/returned after the PA has processed the request. At the time the PA approves the disconnect application, the PA shall update the BCR record in BIRRDS with the Effective Date indicated on the Part 3A Pooling Administrator’s Response/Confirmation.”

This means that for any Thousands-Block within the CO Code that has been retained, your AOCN needs to go into BIRRDS and create the NXD records. For example if you disconnect/donate NPA-NXX-1,2 and 3, your AOCN would need to create NXD records for NPA-NXX-0,4,5,6,7,8 and 9.

Section 4.4. of the TBCOCAG directs SPs to "submit their NRUF to the NANPA on a semi-annual basis on or before February 1 for the period ending December 31 and on or before August 1 for the period ending on June 30 of each year.  Additionally, under these same semi-annual reporting deadlines, SPs shall submit to the PA the Appendix 4." 

In addition, if you do not have a forecast on file at the time you are submitting a request for resources you must submit a forecast prior to submitting your request.

A block will remain in reserved status until:

• A SP requests assignment of the reserved block
• A SP requests cancellation of the reserved block
• Block reservations are reserved for 3 months from the Part 3A date approving the reservation. The block reservation will automatically be cancelled and the block returned to the pool one day after the original block reservation expiration date listed on the Part 3A approving the reservation unless an extension is requested prior to the reservation expiration date.
• When an extension has been requested the block reservation is extended to 6 months from the Part 3A date approving the reservation, (i.e. the SP requested a 3 month extension prior to the original 3 month reservation expiration date). The block reservation will automatically be cancelled and the block returned to the pool one day after the revised block reservation expiration date provided on the Part 3A that approved the extension.

According to Section 5.1.7a of the TBCOCAG, an expedited effective date is a date earlier than the standard thousands-block effective date (31 calendar days). 

By marking the activate radio button as "Yes", the NPAC will schedule and activate the block range.  By marking the activate radio button as "No", the NPAC will schedule the block range but it will be the responsibility of the SP to activate the block range. By marking the "For Information Only" checkbox, the NPAC will not activate the block range regardless of what was selected for NPAC Activate Yes or No. You may contact the NPAC Pooling Team at npac@iconectiv.numberportability.com for further details. For more information on Part 1B activations and NPAC refer to Section 7.1.18 of the TBCOCAG.

Per Section 11.1.6 of the TBCOCAG: “In cases where the Thousands-Block Holder is Exiting the Market voluntarily and returns a Thousands-Block indicating that it is over 10% Contamination (101 TNs or more), the SP shall state in the “Remarks” field of the Part 1A that it is Exiting the Market.” 
“If the Thousands-Block being returned by the SP is over 10% contaminated and the SP does not indicate it is Exiting the Market, the PA shall deny the return.”