PrimeTel Communications

For the Cypriot telecommunications provider, see PrimeTel PLC.

PrimeTel Communications is a telecommunications company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, nominally a service provider for toll-free telephone numbers. Founded in 1995, it is operated by CEO Richard Cohen and is known for amassing large numbers of 800 numbers to redirect misdialed phone calls to erotic chat lines operated by National A-1, an affiliated company. PrimeTel acquires numbers that were previously registered and advertised, resulting in embarrassment when they advertise erotic chat lines. The company controls 1.7 million 800 numbers, as well as millions of numbers on other prefixes.[1][2]

The companies operates six floors of the Washington Square Building at 106 South 7th Street in Philadelphia.

Cohen is a graduate of Drexel University.[3]

Toll-free number hoarding

In 2010, National A-1's six RespOrgs operated 1.9 million toll free +1-800 numbers out of the 7.8 million possible numbers and were also occupying millions of numbers in other toll-free area codes. The numbers are worth an estimated $1 billion. While the six organizations have distinct names, they are simply called PrimeTel in the industry. National A-1 was previously known as National Telephone Enterprises.[1]

In theory, the hoarding of millions of toll-free telephone numbers is prohibited by CFR 2010 Title 47 section § 52.105 Warehousing and § 52.107 Hoarding. The latter section states, in part:

  1. Toll free subscribers shall not hoard toll free numbers.
  2. No person or entity shall acquire a toll free number for the purpose of selling the toll free number to another entity or to a person for a fee.
  3. Routing multiple toll free numbers to a single toll free subscriber will create a rebuttable presumption that the toll free subscriber is hoarding or brokering toll free numbers.[4]

The Federal Communications Commission, which is responsible for the CFR Title 47 regulation, has never taken formal action against PrimeTel or National A-1.[5]

Only a handful of individual complaints have received a response from the FCC. Robert and Lucyanna Westfall's 1998 complaint to the FCC was dismissed after an out of court settlement turned over the one disputed number to the complainants.[6] In a September 2011 FCC complaint, attorneys for Robert Liff, a prospective subscriber for a number in disconnect, objected that their client was unable to obtain the number (+1-888-PROGRESS) as it was ported from Verizon to Yorkshire (one of multiple Primetel resporgs) directly without ever having been placed in the spare pool. The complaint alleges Primetel's dummy company had falsely claimed to have a subscriber which had inadvertently used the Number in advertising, marketing, and/or promotional materials as a pretext to obtain a letter of authorisation (LOA) from the previous subscriber (Progress Inc. of Pipestone, Minnesota - a non-profit providing employment and training to the developmentally delayed[7]). This LOA was used to release the number on other than the legally-required first-come, first-served basis.[8] As of 2013, +1-888-PROGRESS remains under the control of Primetel resporg Yorkshire.

Internet domains and 2010 raid

In addition to toll-free numbers, National A-1 operates a phone sex business, pornography business, [1] and buys domain names,

The company was raided in 2010 related to a prostitution ring, likely related to their operation of escorts.com and hotmovies.com.[9][10] Hotmovies.com grossed $20 million in 2006.[11] The company also owns or operates babies.com, sextoys.com, GayMovies.com, MovieDollars.com, Clips.com, catnip.com, poker.org, camps.com, antique.com, contests.com (purchased from Yahoo for $380,000 in 2009), golflessons.com, boys.com, and girls.com. The company sold pizza.com for $1 million.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Medina, Regina (2010-10-29). "Porn wasn't the only industry affected by Center City raid". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  2. ↑ "The Associated Press: AP IMPACT: Porn company is amassing 1-800 numbers". Google Search. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  3. ↑ "Federal investigators continue Philly porn raid". Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  4. ↑ CFR 2010 Title 47 § 52.107 Hoarding
  5. ↑ David B. Caruso (2011-04-20). "Hot numbers when you least expect them". Associated Press. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
  6. ↑ "Westfalls vs. Primetel". Federal Communications Commission. 1998. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
  7. ↑ "Progess, Inc. | Pipestone, MN 56164 | Habilitative Work Provider". Retrieved 2013-11-07.
  8. ↑ "Robert Liff vs. Primetel, Yorkshire et al.". Federal Communications Commission. 2011. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
  9. ↑ "AVN: National A-1 Update: Escorts.com, Not HotMovies.com Maybe The Issue". Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  10. ↑ "AVN's Legal Seminar: National A-1′s Escorts.com: "Justice Department Has No Interest In The Case"". 9 January 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  11. ↑ "Feds raid Philly cyber-porn business". 6abc.com. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
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