We know breakups can be hard, but porting phone numbers from your old telco shouldn’t be painful. Although the process may seem mysterious, migrating voice and messaging traffic to a new telco is simple once you understand how it works. Find out how to port phone numbers, what type of phone numbers can be ported, and how long the process takes with the below guide.
What is porting?
Porting is the process of transferring an active phone number from one telco provider to another. The type of phone numbers that can be ported in Australia include local, mobile, 13, 1300 and 1800 phone numbers. Porting allows you to retain the rights-of-use to your phone numbers while changing your service provider.
How do you port phone numbers?
- Customer authentication. The first step to successfully port your phone numbers is by providing your new telco with the details to confirm you have the rights-of-use. This includes the phone numbers, the name of the current provider, and the affiliated account number which can often be found on an old invoice
- Request port. Once the port request has been authorised, your new telco will submit a port validation request. Your current telco will then have two business days from receiving the request to respond. In Australia, consumer law means your telco provider cannot refuse your request unless your phone numbers are disconnected, the information in the request was incorrect, or if the request was formally withdrawn by you.
- Transfer numbers. When the current telco has accepted the port request, the port transaction will proceed. Rest easy, the transfer of phone numbers between telcos does not disrupt the service of those phone numbers in any way. Your phone numbers will remain active before and after the transfer.
How long does it take to port phone numbers?
Porting phone numbers in Australia takes between 3 to 7 business days. The only exception to this is if you are porting a large block of numbers, in which case the process can take up to 4 weeks, depending on how quickly your previous provider actions the request.
Why are ports sometimes rejected?
Although the porting process for Australian telcos is the same, some telcos are not as cooperative as others. We recommend double checking all the information you provide to your new telco to ensure there is no push back. If a port is rejected because of incorrect information, a new request will need to be submitted.
Should I cancel my existing service?
No! You must keep your services active until receiving completion advice from your new telco. Most telcos will automatically cancel your services once they have ported away, but some will attempt to continue billing you. We recommend you reach out afterwards to prevent any issues.
Breaking up with your current telco doesn’t need to be difficult. It’s safe, quick and might just be the best choice you’ve ever made for your phone numbers.
