Federal Regulations restrict marketers when making unsolicited marketing calls to wireless numbers. Can you identify the wireless phones on your list?

To identify wireless numbers, telemarketers must use products like the Wireless Block Identifier File supplemented by the Wireless Ported Number file, new products from the DMA and its subsidiary Interactive Marketing Solutions.

The Wireless Block Identifier file identifies those Area codes and Exchanges or blocks of numbers assigned to wireless carriers active within the North American Numbering Plan in the U.S. and Canada. The file is currently available monthly for download and covers nearly 450,000 blocks representing some 450 million phone numbers that are currently assigned or will be assigned to cellular phones.

Each record on the file contains 5 fields labeled:

• NPS (area code)
• NXX (exchange)
• X (1st digit of the remaining number - the block of 1,000 numbers)
• Category (wire = wireless, PCS = personal communication service, etc)
• Future Use (reserved for future use).

The first three fields contain a total of 7 digits that identifies a block of 1,000 telephone numbers assigned to a wireless carrier. These 7 digits, representing the area code, exchange and 1st position of the telephone number, must be matched to the first 7 digits of the prospects telephone number. A match indicates that the telephone number has been assigned to a wireless carrier.

A replacement Wireless Block identifier file is created twice each month, zipped and placed on the web site about the 10th and 26th of the month for download subscribers only. CD subscribers will receive only one file monthly. (For subscribers downloading only once per month, we recommend that they download the file created on or about the 10th of the month.)

When the new file is posted, a notifying email is sent to all download subscribers.

How to subscribe to the Wireless Block Identifier File:

• Subscribe now
• Download and mail your subscription form with payment
• Renew now