A service address is a location to which service is provided. Each facilities provider maintains a list of established service addresses, which identifies all addresses to which they can provide service. When a new customer is created or a new service is added to an existing customer, the provider searches this list for that customer or service's location. If a matching service address is found, it is linked to that customer or service. If a matching service address is not found, the provider must determine whether to add the new service address to the list of established service addresses or tell the customer that service cannot be provided at that location.
When a customer or service is disconnected, the link between the service address and the customer/service is removed. But, the service address remains on the list of established service addresses for future use by another customer/service.
Service addresses are also linked to other parts of the IDI platform, such as Address Validations, Pre-Qualifications, and MSAG Validations for E-911 purposes. Since these functions are performed at the service address level, not the customer level, data from these functions can be linked to the service address. Once a service address is validated, it does not have to be validated again, even if the customer at that service address changes.