You spotted a value for money deal on a SIM-Only plan recently.

And it fits perfectly on your budget.

All seems quite good, great rather – but the question is how to keep your existing number? The answer is – you would have to port it.

This is the guide to help you in the process of porting your current mobile number to another provider while keeping the journey smooth and efficient.

Keeping the old phone number has massive benefits. You would not need to remember a new 10 digit sequence in this digital age of numbers, pins, and passwords. Informing one and all, counts too that you have recently changed numbers. It is not changing numbers on the WhatsApp account, where all your existing data is left untouched and everyone is notified. It means, all those forms and services, which were registered with your current number would need to be changed too. And that turns out to be a huge hassle every time you would change SIM cards.

There are definite steps however which needs to be carefully executed on both your and provider’s end to perform porting on your number. Once ported, your existing number would have the benefits of the new provider. A new and affordable plan would grace your budget too.

How do I port my number?

You will need to have a new SIM pack from your provider ready, and usually, there would be instructions on the inside or they would be printed outside to guide you.

• More often, you would need to activate the new plan on your respective plan provider’s website.
• Mention (or check) that you want to keep your current number when activating.
• Don’t cancel your current service, once ported it would be switched automatically.

That’s it. The provider would now do all the legwork for you. It means that all the databases where your current number’s provider was listed, it would be replaced with the new one. The plan rates and the signal tower name would change too.

• After the signal loss, it is time to turn off your phone and insert the new SIM card. Then, restart the phone.

If you don’t see a loss of signal straightaway, or you see that the new SIM is also deprived of a signal, then don’t panic. It usually takes some time to switch. Yet, if you are concerned that you have waited much, then there might be a couple of solutions.

How long does it take to port a mobile number?

The time taken by the provider would vary anywhere from less than an hour to seven working days. Why is the time span so long, you may question? It all depends on the network you are porting from. The three networks in Australia – Optus, Vodafone, and Telstra have a host of MVNOs. The MVNOs use wholesale versions of the three networks and provide you with cheaper rates and better value plans. There are issues, however, especially when you port from Optus to Optus.

Why is the same network porting an issue?

A baffling conundrum it is. Porting from the same network to the same network messes up protocols. The new number to the new MVNO has to be configured manually. A simpler method is followed when the number is ported from different networks. Porting from Telstra to Optus is far less complicated. Various websites say that the process would take five business days, but often it doesn’t take that long.

Porting Pros

• You get to keep your current number
• The provider handles all the work needed to port
• Can take less than an hour to port to the new SIM provider
• Great way to use a better and new phone plan

Porting Woes

• Same network porting can take a while to process
• The details like name, date of birth, etc. need to match
• Incorrect procedure delays porting
• It has set hours and is not 24 x 7

How to prevent delays in Porting?

One way to avoid porting delay is to not port from an existing provider to the same one. Port from an MVNO to another by first porting to a different network. However, this is not always convenient because you may well like the network you’re currently on, or maybe you’ve seen a great-value phone plan that’s perfect for you and you don’t want to compromise this for some silly porting issues.

• An easy and better way to circumvent this is to buy a  cheap prepaid SIM from another network. Port to it and then port out again. Total time spent porting would be ideally less than before.
• This means that if you are on an Optus network, then porting to either Vodafone or Telstra would do the trick.
• Cheap SIM Cards are available from $2. They can be found in major supermarkets such as Coles and Woolworths. The provider’s shopfront themselves are easy to reach out too.
• $2 is a fairly cheap way of getting a phone plan and a new provider sooner.

Yes, it requires some work on your behalf, but you would not regret it later on. However, it won’t work if you have tried and ported and your process is midway. The best cure is prevention and porting to another network before you port to the originally intended one would prevent headaches later on.

One thing that causes often, long delays is incorrect identification information. While applying for porting, be completely sure that all the information you entered, match with the old provider’s data.

• Your name and date of birth are all that is needed. Do you go by a different name? Or maybe your current phone plan is under your partner’s or parent’s name?
• Your current account number is always useful and speeds things a bit up.
• Ringing you helpline of your current provider to double check the details always helps.

Ensuring the details are correct and porting from a different provider are the two things you can bank on to grant you a timely porting experience.

Telstra, Optus and Vodafone Porting Hours

The fact earlier mentioned that the three network’s porting services are timed is another point for consideration. Optus, Telstra, and Vodafone’s porting services operate on these hours:

• Monday to Friday: 8 a.m to 8 p.m Australian Eastern Standard Time
• No porting on Sundays or national public holidays

If you port outside these hours, your application would not be considered until the next porting window. For example, if you go to port at 7 p.m. on a Saturday, you may not get ported until Monday at 8 a.m. If Monday is a public holiday then you’ll probably have to wait until Tuesday. Though, there have been cases where people are ported outside of these hours, just to ensure a smooth process, stay within the stipulated hours.

Below is a selection of phone plans with the three carriers, Optus, Telstra, and Vodafone. Keep in mind that contracts may vary; porting or switching providers inside your contract may result in penalties or other ‘break contract’ fees. The plans include published prices and deals.

Vodafone:

• $35 Red Plan
  • Unlimited National Calls and text messages
  • Min. cost $35 per month plus device repayments
  • 2 GB – Max Data per billing period
  • $35 – Advertised Data per billing period

Optus:

• $45 My Plan Flex
  • Unlimited National Calls and text messages
  • Stream Optus Sport and Nat Geo data free
  • Stream Music data free
  • 1 GB Extra Data
  • Min. cost $1080 over the 24 months plan period
  • 2 GB – Max Data per billing period
  • $45 – Advertised Data per billing period

Telstra:

• $59 Small
  • Unlimited National Calls and text messages
  • Min. cost $1416 over the 24 months plan period
  • 3 GB – Max Data per billing period
  • $59 – Advertised Data per billing period

Is Porting my number worth it?

Despite all talk about porting nightmares, if you take steps to do it correctly, you might finish it up in an hour or so. Follow the following steps:

• Not porting to the same network. Buy a $2 SIM Card on another network and port to it. This may seem annoying but it can save time.
• Ensuring all personal details needed for activating are correct and the same.
• Keeping your current SIM Card inside the phone until it loses signal.
• Switch off your mobile.
• Wait for 30 seconds.
• Now restart it.

Porting is definitely a simple task. Yet, it is very easy to be drawn out by ridiculous amounts. If you have been waiting, and there is no solution that works, then do ring the providers – both current and the new. At this stage, you might wish that you would have switched to a new number instead, but patience would prevail. Enjoy the new phone plan you just found and save a few bucks too.