Have you ever wanted to change telecoms provider but been unable to because they have your number hostage?
Anyone with an existing number will be rightly worried about losing a number their customers have known for years.
‘Number Porting’ is the phrase you need to remember. Under Ofcom regulations, all telecom providers must allow you to move your number to a new provider (to ‘Port’ your number). This process is lead by the gaining provider, and your old provider has to allow it.
Porting can prove useful in a number of scenarios, including:
- To allow you to make use of the savings and increased functionality offered by a VoIP service. Keep your advertised number and move away from old-school phones and phone lines
- Port over to a VoIP provider and keep your existing number, even if you move geographical area. BT will not allow you to retain your number if you move from your current exchange. Porting to VoIP will allow you to move wherever you want (down the road, working from the pub, the Bahamas, anywhere!)
- Switching telecoms providers – take your number with you if you switch providers but need to keep an existing advertised number
- Larger organisations looking to consolidate resources – moving communications to a central office but keeping contact details for pre-existing regional depots
- Elderly parents going into a Care Home – all their friends and family will be able to reach them on the number they have had for years.
For more info on Porting generally, please see our website pages:
http://www.surevoip.co.uk/products/number-porting
and
http://www.surevoip.co.uk/help-support/faq#n78
As the UK industry regulatory body, Ofcom oversee all porting regulations. Their website gives advice on the process. For further information, please see:
http://ask.ofcom.org.uk/help/telephone/switching_provider
and
http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/numbering/guidance-tele-no/number-portability-info/