Method and system for measuring market-share for an entire telecommunication market

1. A method of measuring market share for a telecommunication market, said method comprising:

selecting a telephone number (TN) from a panel of numbers for sampling a telephone network;

obtaining market information associated with the TN by initiating a call setup and accessing a plurality of databases to identify a first carrier of the TN;

querying a local number portability (LNP) database with the TN to identify a porting status;

associating the TN with a second carrier when the query returns a local routing number (LRN), or associating the TN with the first carrier when the query does not return the LRN; and

processing said market information to provide market share information for said telecommunication market.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said panel of numbers is selected geographically.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein selecting said panel of numbers is random.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said panel of numbers is selected by accessing a Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG) database.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said market information is obtained by accessing said plurality of databases, said plurality of databases comprising at least one of:

a Calling Name Services (CNAM) database,

the Local Number Portability (LNP) database,

a Line Information Database (LIDB) or

an E-911 Automated Location Information (ALI) database.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said market information comprises:

determining said assignment status information of said selected panel of numbers;

determining business ownership of said selected panel of numbers;

determining residential versus business status of said selected panel of numbers; and

determining a technology used to provide service to said selected panel of numbers.

7. The method as described in claim 5 wherein said assignment status for a wireless subscriber is determined by:

accessing the CNAM database;

accessing the LNP database to identify said assignment status when said assignment status is absent from the CNAM database;

accessing the LIDB to identify said assignment status when said assignment status is absent from the LNP database; and

accessing the ALI database to identify said assignment status when said assignment status is absent from said LIDB.

8. The method as described in claim 6 , wherein said business ownership for a wireless subscriber is determined by accessing a Local Number Portability (LNP) database and a Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG) database.

9. The method as described in claim 6 , wherein said business ownership for a landline subscriber is determined by accessing a Line Information Database (LIDB).

10. The method as described in claim 6 , wherein determining residential versus business status for a landline subscriber of said selected panel of numbers is determined by:

accessing a Calling Name Services (CNAM) database; and

accessing a Local Number Portability database to determine residential versus business status when said status is absent from the CNAM database.

11. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said market information is obtained by sequentially accessing said plurality of databases, said plurality of databases comprising:

an ENUM (Telephone Number Mapping) database;

a Calling Name Services (CNAM) database; and

an Internet Protocol (IP) Peering database.

12. A computer-useable medium having computer-readable program code stored thereon for causing a computer system to execute a method for measuring market share for a telecommunication market, said method comprising:

selecting a telephone number (TN) from a panel of numbers for sampling a telephone network;

obtaining market information associated with the TN by initiating a call setup and accessing a plurality of databases to identify a first carrier of the TN;

querying a local number portability (LNP) database with the TN to identify a porting status;

associating the TN with a second carrier when the query returns a local routing number (LRN), or associating the TN with the first carrier when the query does not return the LRN; and

processing said market information to provide market share information for said telecommunication market.

13. The computer useable medium as described in claim 12 wherein said panel of numbers is selected geographically.

14. The computer useable medium as described in claim 12 wherein selecting said panel of numbers is random.

15. The computer useable medium as described in claim 12 wherein said panel of numbers is selected by accessing a Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG) database.

16. The computer useable medium as described in claim 12 wherein said market information is obtained by said sequentially accessing said plurality of databases, said plurality of databases comprising at least one of

a Calling Name Services (CNAM) database,

a Local Number Portability (LNP) database,

a Line Information Database (LIDB) or

an E-911 Automated Location Information (ALI) database.

17. The computer useable medium as described in claim 12 wherein said market information comprises:

determining said assignment status information of said selected panel of numbers;

determining business ownership of said selected panel of numbers;

determining residential versus business status of said selected panel of numbers; and

determining a technology used to provide service to said selected panel of number.

18. The computer useable medium as described in claim 16 wherein said assignment status for a wireless subscriber is determined by:

accessing the CNAM database;

accessing the LNP database to identify said assignment status when said assignment status is absent from the CNAM database;

accessing the LIDB to identify said assignment status when said assignment status is absent from the LNP database; and

accessing the ALI database to identify said assignment status when said assignment status is absent from said LIDB.

19. The computer useable medium as described in claim 17 , wherein said business ownership for a wireless subscriber is determined by accessing a Local Number Portability (LNP) database and a Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG) database.

20. The computer useable medium as described in claim 17 , wherein said business ownership for a landline subscriber is determined by accessing a Line Information Database (LIDB).

21. The computer useable medium as described in claim 17 , wherein determining residential versus business status for a landline subscriber of said selected panel of numbers is determined by:

accessing a Calling Name Services (CNAM) database; and

accessing the Local Number Portability database to determine residential versus business status when said status is absent from the CNAM database.

22. The computer useable medium as described in claim 12 wherein said market information is obtained by said accessing said pluralityy of databases, said plurality of databases comprising:

an ENUM (Telephone Number Mapping) database;

a Calling Name Services (CNAM) database; and

an Internet Protocol (IP) Peering database.

23. A computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus and a memory coupled to said bus, wherein said memory comprises instructions that when executed on said processor implement a method for measuring market share for a telecommunication market, said method comprising:

selecting a telephone number (TN) from a panel of numbers for sampling a telephone network;

obtaining market information associated with the TN by initiating a call setup and accessing a plurality of databases to identify a first carrier of the TN;

querying a local number portability (LNP) database with the TN to identify a porting status;

associating the TN with a second carrier when the query returns a local routing number (LRN), or associating the TN with the first carrier when the query does not return the LRN; and

processing said market information to provide market share information for said telecommunication market.

24. The computer system as described in claim 23 wherein said panel of numbers is selected geographically.

25. The computer system as described in claim 23 wherein selecting said panel of numbers is random.

26. The computer system as described in claim 23 wherein said panel of numbers is selected by accessing a Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG) database.

27. The computer system as described in claim 23 wherein said market information is obtained by said sequentially accessing said plurality of databases, said plurality of databases comprising:

a Calling Name Services (CNAM) database;

the LNP database;

a Line Information Database (LIDB); and

an E-911 Automated Location Information (ALI) database.

28. The computer system as described in claim 23 wherein said market information comprises:

determining said assignment status information of said selected panel of numbers;

determining business ownership of said selected panel of numbers;

determining residential versus business status of said selected panel of numbers; and

determining a technology used to provide service to said selected panel of number.

29. The computer system as described in claim 23 wherein said assignment status for a wireless subscriber is determined by:

accessing the CNAM database;

accessing the LNP database to identify said assignment status when said assignment status is absent from the CNAM database;

accessing the LIDB to identify said assignment status when said assignment status is absent from the LNP database; and

accessing the ALI database to identify said assignment status when said assignment status is absent from said LIDB.

30. The computer system as described in claim 28 , wherein said business ownership for a wireless subscriber is determined by accessing a Local Number Portability (LNP) database and a Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG) database.

31. The computer system as described in claim 28 , wherein said business ownership for a landline subscriber is determined by accessing a Line Information Database (LIDB).

32. The computer system as described in claim 28 , wherein determining residential versus business status for a landline subscriber of said selected panel of numbers is determined by:

accessing a Calling Name Services (CNAM) database; and

accessing the LNP database to determine residential versus business status when said status is absent from the CNAM database.

33. The computer system as described in claim 23 wherein said market information is obtained by sequentially accessing said plurality of databases, said plurality of databases comprising:

an ENUM (Telephone Number Mapping) database;

a Calling Name Services (CNAM) database; and

an Internet Protocol (IP) Peering database.

34. A method of measuring market share for a telecommunication market, said method comprising:

selecting a telephone number (TN) from a panel of numbers for sampling a telephone network;

generating a signaling message for said TN;

sending said generated signaling message to a plurality of databases and to said TN;

receiving a response from a first one of said plurality of databases and said selected TN;

analyzing said received response from said first one of said plurality of databases and said selected TN wherein said analysis determines a first carrier associated with the TN;

querying a local number portability (LNP) database to identify a porting status of the TN; and

associating the TN with a second carrier associated with the LNP when the TN is associated with a local routing number (LRN), or associating the TN with the first carrier when the query does not return the LRN.

35. The method as described in claim 34 wherein said panel of numbers are selected by accessing a Local Exchange Routing Guide (LERG) database.

36. The method as described in claim 34 wherein said panel of numbers are selected from a group consisting of wireless and landline numbers.

37. The method as described in claim 34 wherein said panel of numbers are selected randomly.

38. The method as described in claim 34 wherein said generated signaling message accesses said plurality of databases and wherein said plurality of databases comprises at least one of

a Calling Name Services (CNAM) database,

a Local Number Portability (LNP) database,

a Line Information Database (LIDB),

an E-911 Automated Location Information (ALI) database,

an ENUM (Telephone Number Mapping) database or

an Internet Protocol (IP) Peering database.

39. The method as described in claim 38 wherein a signaling system 7 (SS7) protocol is used to access said CNAM, LNP, LIDB and E-911 ALI database.

40. The method as described in claim 38 wherein Internet Protocol (IP) is used to access said ENUM and IP Peering database.

41. The method as described in claim 34 wherein said received response from said plurality of databases and said selected panel of numbers is used to analyze said received response to determine a plurality of market share information, said plurality of market share information comprising:

determining assignment status information of said selected panel of numbers;

determining business ownership of said selected panel of numbers;

determining residential versus business status of said selected panel of numbers; and

determining a technology used to provide service to said selected panel of numbers.