[VoiceOps] Canadian Toll Free

[Paul Timmins]

The thing that makes the most sense for me, as a resporg, is that the number's traffic is affected when the TFN is routed to a carrier that does not have its CIC loaded in the local switch that's doing the toll free database lookup (usually the local class 5 switch, sometimes the class 4 tandem just above it in the hierarchy).

So if the CAD record indicates a Canadian LATA (888) or one of the Canadian NPAs, you may find that the terminating CIC is set to, for example "ALN-0539" which is Global Crossing (now Level 3's) CIC in Canada (if I recall, I'm not logged in to the SMS at the moment).

FGD CIC 0539 isn't loaded in any domestic US tandems that I'm aware of, so when your 800 dip comes back with CIC 0539 TN 8005551212, your local tandem might not have anywhere to send that call, and it fails.

Alternatively, the TN could be listed with an area of service of "US" instead of "XA" or "XC" which would cause an out of band announcement "This number cannot be reached from your calling area" should it be called from a Canadian number. Most terminating IXCs charge extra for calls from Canada (because they have to pick up the call in Canada, and transport it to your US domestic location, so it's an international call and it costs more to the terminating party, so many customers choose to block calls from Canada and the Caribbean).

Now, if you call from a Canadian number, through a Canadian tandem, you'll get the right translations to get the call where it needs to go.

Sometimes, it will work, though. Verizon Business Option 1 network, for example, uses CIC 0222 in the US and Canada, so calls to numbers that translate to that CIC will work basically throughout the entire NANPA.

-Paul


On May 6, 2014, at 23:27, Ryan Delgrosso <ryandelgrosso at gmail.com> wrote:

> Our solution is less than elegant but seems to be working. We do a check in translations and if the source NPA is canadian and the destination is TollFree we then punt it to a termination trunk we have with a canadian carrier. 
> 
> We use Thinktel for this. They have been a solid partner and have been easy to work with. 
> 
> Hope that helps
> 
> -Ryan
> 
> 
> On 05/06/2014 12:03 PM, PE wrote:
>> Greetings VoiceOpers,
>> 
>> There are a handful of US SIP carriers who offer the promise of doing business in Canada with Canadian DID's. The challenge we've seen is that when you call some toll free numbers from those Canadian DID's the call gets blocked by the far end, presumably because the switching equipment is in the US. No issues dialing the same numbers from the US.
>> 
>> We've attempted to deliver these calls over numerous different carriers with the same results. Talking with some of these carriers, we're told this is a known frustration and noone seems to have a way around it. The only thing that has helped even a little is if the customer is willing to use a toll free number as the Originating ANI, but even then it is spotty.
>> 
>> We're not trying to do any sort of toll bypass or anything unsavory. Just want to be able to serve US customers who happen to also have some Canadian locations.
>> 
>> Anyone have a solve for this?
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> Pete
>> 
>> 
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