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From: "Jay E. Morris" <morrisj@epsilon3.comcon>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: ongoing infrastructure changes with AI in the USA
Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2024 17:01:31 -0600
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On 11/19/2024 12:44 PM, Garrett Wollman wrote:
> In article <vhih8r$1uic7$1@dont-email.me>,
> Cryptoengineer  <petertrei@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On 11/19/2024 11:25 AM, Paul S Person wrote:
>>> I don't suppose there is an easy way to relate a given cell phone
>>> number to the carrier and so to the @ address?
>>
>> No, there isn't. US phone numbers have been movable between carriers
>> for decades. I did it myself.
> 
> There is a national database -- obviously, because the incoming calls
> have to get routed to the right carrier.  I seem to have misplaced the
> name of this database; it's operated under an FCC contract by an
> organization called the Number Portability Administration Center.
> Every phone call and SMS message requires a lookup in this database.
> 
> Originally, calls would be routed on the basis of the local exchange
> carrier to which the NPA-NXX was assigned, and then numbers which had
> been "ported out" would be kicked back to the originating carrier with
> a "not our number" message to force a database lookup.  These days,
> it makes sense to just do the database dip unconditionally.  (There's
> caching in the carrier networks to minimize their database access
> charges.)
> 
> Whether there's any way for normal people to get access to this
> information I don't know.
> 
> -GAWollman
> 

As I said in the other message, https://www.whitepages.com/ and the 
reverse number lookup did give my carrier. I have not moved carriers in 
over 20 years though so someone who has would have to verify that it 
still gives the right carrier.