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How to keep your mobile number

Whether your a sole trader, everyone knows your number or you've got the coolest number ever we all would love to keep our numbers. Below are the ins and outs of keeping your number.

OFCOM regulations have forced networks to make it easy for consumers to keep their numbers. Therefore you can keep your number and switch easily to another network. This is the same for whether you are on a contract, sim-only or pay as you go and whether you are switching from a contract to pay as you go or visa versa.

When your contract comes to an end many of us will upgrade which means keeping your
number is obviously straightforward. However, in the event your fed up of your network or found a better deal elsewhere you'll probably want to keep your number. By asking to
cancel your contract you should also ask for your PAC code.

You can give your PAC code at the point you purchase your contract. Depending on the network they will either give you a temporary number until your old number switches over or the sim card will activate a few days later with your old number. Most networks now even accept PAC codes at any point of your contract so if you intended to keep your number with an old pay as you go number you can "Port in" at a later date.

The process is summarised on the right but will be discussed in greater detail in this section.

Firstly you should have your PAC code from your previous network. When you supply this to your new network they will allocate you a date. Note that they will also give you a new sim card. OFCOM states this should now only be a few days. By giving your PAC code to another network it means that you will dissolve your previous contract, with the previous network sending you a final bill (usually your last month). Importantly on the date supplied by the new network (and usually a time) your old sim card will lose signal and once you have switched your new phone with your new sim card on and off and your old number will reactivate. This also means you will get no loss of signal at all i.e. the switch is instant Simple!

1. Your number stays your number regardless of network

2. The process of switching network and keeping your number is easy

3. How to keep your number when you reach the end of your contract

4. When to give your PAC code and what to do with it

5. The process of keeping your number from start to finish