Obviously, we help a lot of our clients change their mobile provider. This often, still, comes with a sense of anxiety. People are worried about keeping their same number and how long the process takes. With this article we wanted to give you a quick rundown of the process to hopefully allay some of your fears.
The purpose of this article is to answer the most common questions we hear, to help you comfortably make a decision.
Do I get to keep the same mobile phone number?
TL/DR – Yes.
Yes, you can keep the same phone number. You can transfer your number to a different service provider. This is protected by Australian law. If a transfer (port) request is submitted your current provider is obligated to work with your newly chosen provider to help facilitate the transfer.
For us to help you port your number all we need is your mobile number and account number (or date of birth if your number is currently a prepaid service.)
How does the porting process work?
Your chosen service provider does the heavy lifting for you. Don’t tell your current provider that you are leaving or that you want to cancel your service. You don’t need to tell them anything. If you do ring them, you risk them cancelling your service and then we cannot port it across.
You just need to choose your new plan and service provider. You need to choose a plan that best suits your needs. Most plans now include unlimited calls and texts in Australia. Different plans have different data inclusions and some include international calls. Once you have decided on your needs we’ll get some paperwork and identification documents from you. We’ll then give you a new sim card and submit your port request online.
When you submit a port request, you will receive a confirmation code to verify that you are wanting to port your number. Your new provider will need you to confirm that you have received this code and will need this code to confirm your request to transfer your mobile number.
Once we submit this code the port request begins. This process can take anywhere between 5 minutes and a few hours. Your old sim card and service provider will work until the port has taken place. Once this happens you just need to put your new sim card in your handset and away you go.
Thankfully, almost all information is now stored on your handset so your contacts etc will not need to be transferred (unless you are also getting a new device. Transferring data across devices is a topic for another blog post)
What is my old provider going to do?
As we mentioned earlier, you don’t need to contact your old provider to tell them you are leaving. Once your number has been transferred, your old provider will likely send you a final bill. A word of warning though – before transferring your service make sure you haven’t been locked into a contract where your old provider will charge you a contract termination fee.
Sometimes people choose not to keep a mobile number. If you are setting up a new number with a new provider you will have to contact your old provider to ask them to cancel their service.
As you can see, the process for changing mobile providers involves some steps but these steps are managed for you. You shouldn’t stick with a provider that is overcharging you because you think the process is over-complicated. If you want to see if there are better plans available for your needs please get in touch today.