Glossary of Local Number Porting (LNP) Terms

Plain-language definitions of the key terms used throughout the number porting process.

This glossary explains commonly used terms for local number porting (LNP) in Australia.

Porting terms

Donor

The carrier or carriage service provider to which a telephone number was originally allocated by ACMA.

Losing carrier

The carrier or carriage service provider from which a telephone number is being ported.

Gaining carrier

The carrier or carriage service provider to which a telephone number is being ported.

CCA

Call Collection Area. Australia has 66 CCAs in total.

Reversal

The reinstatement of a customer’s service with the losing carrier during the reversal period for numbers ported using the Simple/Category A process.

Emergency Return

The re-establishment of a service (either the original or an alternative) for complex ports within a specified timeframe after the port completes.

Pre-Port Validation (PNV)

A regulatory form allowing the gaining carrier to request service number details from the losing carrier.

PAF

Porting Authority Form.

SNA

Simple Notification Advice — advice provided in a Porting Notification Order containing the details required to port a telephone number using the Category A (Simple) process.

CNA

Complex Notification Advice — advice provided in a Porting Notification Order containing the initial porting details for telephone numbers being ported using the Category C (Complex) process.