The Federal Communications Commission selected SomosGov as the next administrator responsible for various telephone number management responsibilities. SomosGov will serve as the North American Numbering Plan Administrator, the Pooling Administrator, and the new role of Reassigned Numbers Database Administrator under a five-year contract, with options for the FCC to continue the contract for up to a total of eight years. 

SomosGov is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Somos, the present NANPA and PA. SomosGov has been performing the NANPA and PA functions as a subcontractor to Somos, and will continue operating the NANPA/PA functions under the new contract. 

The Reassigned Numbers Database Administrator will contain reassigned numbers information from each provider that obtains North American Numbering Plan US geographic numbers and toll-free numbers. Once operational, callers will be able to check the database to determine whether a number has been potentially reassigned to a new subscriber and thus avoid calling consumers who do not wish to receive their calls. The database is an important aspect of the FCC’s efforts to combat illegal robocalls and to reduce the number of unwanted calls consumers receive. The Commission established a safe harbor for good-faith users of the database to shield them from Telephone Consumer Protection Act liability they could incur due to database error.

The contract is meant to bring about a more cost-efficient and effective operation of the NANPA and PA by consolidating their operation, in combination with the RNDA, into a single contract. In addition to serving presently as the NANPA and PA, SomosGov parent Somos is also the existing Toll Free Numbering Administrator, responsible for overseeing the toll free number database.