A Local Routing Number (or LRN) is ten digit number that looks like a telephone number, but in actuality represents an entire telephone switch through which multiple telephone numbers are routed.
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In 1996, the US Congress mandated a change in local telephone service that allows any carrier to enter a local market. The new regulation provides for local number portability (LNP), which means that when a consumer’s phone service is moved from one service provider to another, the telephone number (TN) does not change. This process is called porting a number.
The Location Routing Number (LRN) identifies the switch for Local Number Portability (LNP). Every ported TN must have an LRN assigned to it. An LRN is a 10-digit number that looks like a TN and represents the entire switch through which multiple TNs are routed. Individual TNs are mapped to an LRN (the mapping of TNs to an LRN is referred to as a ‘subscription’.)
Virginia based NeuStar (acting as a neutral party) has been chartered with developing and maintaining the Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC) to support the implementation of Local Number Portability (LNP).
In the U.S., a Location Routing Number (LRN) is a 10-digit number in a database called a Service Control Point (SCP) that identifies a switching port for a local telephone exchange. LRN is a technique for providing Local Number Portability.
Using LRN, when a phone number is dialed, the local telephone exchange queries a routing database, usually the SCP, for the LRN associated with the subscriber. The LRN removes the need for the public telephone number to identify the local exchange carrier. If a subscriber changes to another telephone service provider, the current telephone number can be retained. Only the LRN needs to be changed. In addition to supporting service provider phone number portability, an LRN also supports the possibility of two other types of number portability: service portability (for example, ordinary service to ISDN) and geographic portability.