If you've recently conducted a search for a phone number on Lookify, and see a result with the carrier name for the phone number listed as "Multiple OCN Listing" or "Other Multiple OCN Listing", you may be wondering what this carrier type means. Multiple OCN Listing means that there is more than one Operating Company Number associated with the phone number. To understand more about what this means, read on:
What does OCN stand for?
OCN stands for Operating Company Number. An Operating Company Number is a four digit number, given to only US Phone carrier companies, from the National Exchange Carrier Association. An OCN can be thought of like a unique company code that is used to identify telecommunications service providers.
What does it mean when a phone number has multiple OCNs?
If a phone number has multiple OCN's it means that multiple carriers or mobile service providers provide service to the phone number. It might be hard to wrap your head around, but consider the following scenario:
- A telephone carrier company "Carrier 1" located and doing business in the United States wants to provide their customers with cell service when they travel to Mexico. Carrier 1 does not have any cell towers in Mexico, so they need to find an existing carrier who does.
- The telephone carrier company partners with "Carrier 2" who operates out of Mexico, so that when calls are placed for their customers in Mexico, they are routed to the right recipient.
- Technically, the customer is supported by two carriers (or multiple OCN's) - Carrier 1 for calls placed in the United States, and calls placed in Mexico are handled by Carrier 2.
Other reasons why a phone number has multiple OCNs
There are a few other situations where a phone number carrier might have multiple OCNs.
- Mergers and Acquisitions: A telecommunications company or carrier that acquires or merges with other companies may end up managing multiple OCNs, each representing a different entity within the larger organization.
- Multiple Service Offerings: A single company offering diverse telecommunications services (like local, long distance, wireless, or internet services) in various geographical regions might operate under multiple OCNs, each for a specific type of service or region.
- Administrative Purposes: Different OCNs may be used for administrative or regulatory purposes, to differentiate various operational aspects within the same company.
Hopefully this helps clear up any questions regarding Multiple OCN Listing numbers. If you have any other questions about the results of your phone number lookup, feel free to contact us.
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