What does LNP mean?

To understand where LNP was originated we need to first look back at when deregulation came to the telephone industry. Deregulation was brought about to give consumers choices and lower prices.  When you wanted to switch between one provider to another your only choice was to get a new phone number since each company wouldn’t give up the number to the competition.

In 1996 the Telecommunications Act helped to create LNP or Local Number Portability which changed the problem of having to change your phone number when you changed providers.  Now consumers could to their phone numbers to any communications provider they choose.

Check out the a copy of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to the right.