Can I Keep My Number?
By WhistleOut
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The great news is that keeping your mobile phone number when you change providers is EASY. You can change mobile carriers and have your phone ringing in under 1 hour!
Moving from Telstra to Optus = Easy. Move from Vodafone to Three = Easy
History
There were some more constrictive rules in the early days of the mobile phone contract where telcos were signing up new customers, then providing a barrier to leaving by not letting you take your number.
Not anymore.
We have The Australian Communications and Media Authority to thank for the reforms which make it easy to port your number to a new mobile carrier. Officially it is called Mobile Number Portability, and Australia leads the way in the speed that this can happen.
Will I be Offered This Option?
Yes - It is more expensive for the telco to set up a new number than it is to transfer an existing numbers so you will easily find a number portability option as you sign up for new mobile phone and plan. In the online store, look for the options to keep your number - remember it is officially called Mobile Number Portability or 'porting'.
Why it is Great!
It costs you nothing and saves you money. You get to keep your stationery, your business cards etc. as you keep your number. And, it happens in a flash.
Source: http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/1001/pc=PC_1787#4
Some Tips from ACMA
- If you change your provider and keep your existing mobile number, remember you're not taking the service with you-just the number. You can only take your mobile number with you if you're the authorised customer - the person who has the actual mobile service account with the mobile phone company.
- Do not cancel your contract with your current provider before changing your service provider, as only connected phone numbers can be transferred.
- If you have outstanding debts with your existing provider, you'll still be liable for paying it, even if you transfer your number to another provider. (Having a debt cannot prevent you from changing providers. However, your application for an account with a new provider will be subject to the usual credit checks.)
- Look into any technical and handset issues you might experience when you change providers. If you're keeping your handset, check whether it is compatible with the mobile technology used by your new provider.
- If you're a pre-paid mobile customer, your mobile phone may be SIM-locked, and your current provider may charge you to unlock your SIM card if you want to use the same handset with another provider's network.