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:: HOME :: CREDIT CARDS :: LONG DISTANCE :: INTERNET SERVICE :: LOANS :: CELL PHONES · Main Page · Sort by Carrier · Cell Phone Specials · Plans for Business · Prepaid Specials · Sort by Phone · Tips & Advice - New! · Cellular Buying Guide · Cell Phone Reviews · Cellular FAQ · Cellular Glossary · Info & Resources :: INSURANCE :: ONLINE BANKING :: KNOWLEDGE :: MORE |
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Cell Phone Tips and Advice Center Topic: Wireless Number Portability See the subtopics menu for tips and advice about wireless number portability. For additional information about cell phones, see the topic list directly below.
:: Question List
 What is wireless local number portability (WLNP)?WLNP, which stands for Wireless Local Number Portability, enables consumers to change service providers within the same local area and keep the same phone number. You may port your number from your existing land line or existing wireless line to another wireless line. ^ Back to the Question List Who can request for WLNP?As of the initial launch of WLNP on November 24th, 2003 only the top 100 Metropolitan area are eligible to port numbers at this time. The rest of the United States will be able to port their number after at least 6 months from then. ^ Back to the Question List Who should consumers contact if they want to port their number to a new carrier?Consumers should contact sub-dealers of the carrier or the carrier of his/her choice, who will start the porting process. The new carrier will first confirm the consumer's identity and eligibility of the number being ported to see if it’s in the 100 markets and then make a porting request with the old carrier. When consumers go to their new carrier to port a number, they should bring along a recent wireless bill, which will have their correct name and address as it appears in the carrier's databases. This should aid in making the porting process go smoothly. Once a valid porting request has been made, the old carrier cannot refuse to port a number. ^ Back to the Question List Are carriers allowed to charge for number porting, and, if so, how much would the charges be?Carriers are allowed to recover their costs of implementing WLNP by charging fees to customers. They have been allowed to do this in advance of the LNP deadline because they have been incurring costs for LNP upgrades in preparation for the deadline. For the past several months, many carriers have been including line-item fees for LNP on their customers' monthly bills, ranging from a few cents to a little over a dollar. Carriers are also allowed to charge a fee to customers at the time their number is ported. However, there are no rules preventing a new carrier from paying an old carrier's porting costs for the benefit of the new customer. You should ask the new carrier whether it has a policy of paying or reimbursing such charges. ^ Back to the Question List Can different carriers charge different amounts?Yes, because different carriers have varying costs of operating due to numerous economic factors. Although the FCC does not regulate the amount of such charges, all such charges must be just and reasonable ^ Back to the Question List Can I cancel my original line?Do not terminate your existing service your number should be active to port in. Once your number is ported over your old carrier will discontinue your service and you will no longer be their customer. ^ Back to the Question List If a consumer has a long-term contract with a carrier, is that consumer still obligated to pay an early termination fee even if he/she ports the phone number to a new carrier?Yes. For consumers who wish to switch carriers and port numbers to a new carrier at any time, but they are still obligated to pay any early termination fees they may have under an existing contract, and they are obligated to pay any outstanding balance owed to the old carrier. Consumers interested in switching providers should review their existing contract to determine what fees or charges would apply. However, once a consumer has requested service from a new carrier, the old carrier may not delay or refuse to port a number even if that individual owes money for an outstanding balance and/or termination fee. ^ Back to the Question List What information is required to submit a WLNP request?In order to process a WLNP request we would need the following information: - Your current mobile number/landline number - Account Number of your existing mobile number/landline number - Password to the account ( if any) - The carrier name that the mobile/landline number is currently with. * We recommend that you have an Old Service Provider’s Bill in hand when making the request so that you can provide the information as it exactly appears on the bill and the request is not delayed or cancelled. ^ Back to the Question List Can I port my number with the same carrier?No, a port request can only be made when requesting number to be ported over to a new carrier. In the case you input an order for the number to be ported within the same carrier, your order will not be processed and eventually cancelled. ^ Back to the Question List Can I port a number that is not in my name?If you are trying to port a number of an account which is not in your name, the port request will not go through. In order for the request to go through both new and old account has to be under one person’s information. ^ Back to the Question List If I am on a shared/family plan, do I qualify for WLNP?Same rule applies as the single line port in. Both numbers being requested to port in must be under one person’s information. So if you are the account holder of the two numbers being ported in and you will be the account holder for the new lines, only then will the number be able to be ported in. ^ Back to the Question List How long will the porting process take?For a wireless to wireless transfer, the porting process should take approximately two and a half hours from the time the porting request is made to the old carrier. The FCC has not mandated a specific time frame for the porting process. Two and a half hours is the time frame agreed upon by the wireless industry, and the FCC supports and encourages carriers to use that time frame. A wireline to wireless port will probably take longer to complete, and could take several days. Before porting between wireline and wireless phones, consumers should ask their new service provider how long the process will take. In order to approve your port request, your old carrier will require the account information you enter to match their records exactly. Be sure to have your most recent wireless or landline phone bill handy when you go through our ordering & checkout process. Currently wireless to wireless porting can take anywhere from 1 to 10 business days or even more, depending upon how soon your old service provider responds back to your port request. Wireline to wirless porting can take up to 30 business days or more, as wireline carriers needs much longer time to respond back and release your phone number. ^ Back to the Question List What can delay WLNP?When applying for WLNP all information must be submitted accurately as possible as any type of mismatch of information can cause delays. We suggest that you read of the information exactly as it appears on your old service provider’s bill. Requests that may be off by even one letter or digit can take up to 10 or more days for it to be complete. ^ Back to the Question List What kind of service should I expect while my number is being ported over?When requesting number portability you may experience unusual service patters. At a point you may only be able to receive calls on both phones, at points you may be able to receive calls on one phone but makes call from the other. At times you may be able to use both phones and at points use neither. But at all times you will be able to dial 911 for emergencies. In most cases your new phone will start working a few hours after your old phone stops working. * NOTE: IN MOST CASES YOU MAY GO A COUPLE OF DAYS WITHOUT SERVICE WITH YOUR EXISTING AND NEW CARRIER, AS WE WAIT FOR THE PHONE TO BE FULLY ACTIVATED BEFORE SHIPPING IT OUT. ^ Back to the Question List If consumers port a number to a new wireless carrier, can they still use their current phone?For various reasons, wireless handsets are often incompatible among different wireless service providers. Consumers will most likely need to purchase a new phone, even when they retain the same phone number. ^ Back to the Question List Will porting my number cause any problems with E911?We suggest that you tell your position to 911 operators as soon as you get connected, because the operator might not be able to call you back if the call gets disconnected. During the time the number is being ported from the old carrier to the new carrier, there may be a period of "mixed service" when E911 service is affected. If customers call 911 during this period, the call should go through. Before porting either a wireless or a wireline number, consumers should ask their new service provider how long the porting process will take and how the porting process will affect emergency services. ^ Back to the Question List
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