Locking in the number, New number headaches could be over

Ameritech has contracted with Lucent Technologies to provide the hardware and software that will let consumers in the Chicago area keep their phone numbers when they change carriers.

The technology to enable number portability is being tested by Lucent in Hoffman Estates, Ill. The trials started in late December and will be completed at the end of August. If all goes as planned, Ameritech could start offering the service to business and residential customers in October-just in time to comply with a provision in the Telecommunications Reform Act of 1996 that all local exchange carriers have local portability in their networks by the end of 1997.

The Lucent technology, Location Routing Number, combines service control points (SCP)-database computers for Advanced Intelligent Networks- and service management systems, which connect the computers to the statewide number portability center.

When customers switch from one local service provider to another, they will be able to keep their same phone numbers-area code and all-which will then be identified as "ported." When a call comes in, it goes to the SCP database, which routes the call to the new carrier for completion. All that is transparent to the caller.

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