At the heart of number portability rules is the fundamental right of consumers to choose their service provider without the inconvenience of changing their contact number. This means that a carrier generally cannot refuse to port a number even if the customer owes them money (though the customer is still obligat to pay any outstanding balances or early termination fees).
However! certain eligibility criteria must typically be met. Common rules include:
- Active Service: The number to be port must be active and not suspend or disconnect.
- Account in Good Standing: While japan phone number list outstanding balances usually don’t prevent porting! any contractual obligations (like a minimum contract period) might ne to be fulfill or paid off.
- Ownership Verification: The customer requesting the port must be the legitimate rights-of-use holder of the number. This often involves providing accurate account information (account number! PIN! billing address! etc.) that matches the current carrier’s records.
- Minimum Activation Period: In some list of active numbers in yemen – who can help? regions! a number must have been active with the current operator for a minimum period (e.g.! 90 days in Bangladesh! 120 days in some other countries) before it can be port.
- No Pending Requests: There should be no phone number iran pending requests like a change of ownership for the mobile number.
The Porting Process and Timelines
Number portability rules also dictate the process and expect timelines for a number transfer. Globally! there are two primary models:
- Recipient-L Porting: This is the most common and often preferr method (e.g.! in Europe and the USA). The customer initiates the porting process by contacting the new carrier (the recipient). The new carrier then handles the coordination with the old carrier (the donor) to transfer the number.
- Donor-L Porting: In some countries (like the UK and India)! the customer first nes to contact their current carrier (the donor) to obtain a unique porting code (e.g.! PAC in the UK! UPC in India). This code is then provid to the new carrier to proce with the port. While this aims to prevent fraud! some critics argue it can be less efficient.
Regulatory bodies often set maximum timeframes for completing number ports. For mobile numbers! simple ports are typically mandat to be complet within a few business days! often as quickly as a few hours. For instance! in the US! simple mobile ports are requir to be process in one business day. In Bangladesh! mobile numbers can be port within 72 hours! with an option for 24-hour expit service at a higher fee. Landline and VoIP numbers generally have longer porting times! ranging from several days to weeks! due to more complex infrastructure.
During the porting process! customers are usually notifi via SMS at various stages (submission! schule! activation). There might be a short service disruption (e.g.! up to 4 hours! often overnight) when the actual transfer occurs.
Carrier Obligations and Responsibilities
Telecommunications regulators impose significant obligations on carriers to ensure fair and efficient number portability:
- Cooperation: Both the losing and gaining carriers are requir to cooperate seamlessly to facilitate the number transfer. Delays or intentional hindrance by the losing carrier are often subject to penalties.
- Accurate Information Provision: Carriers must provide accurate and timely information to the gaining carrier to enable the port.
- Identity Verification: New carriers must implement robust identity verification procures to prevent fraudulent porting (SIM swap fraud)! which can lead to significant consumer harm. This might involve calling back the number! sending a unique verification code! or in-person verification.
- Customer Awareness: Carriers are often requir to inform customers about their right to port their number! potential costs (like early termination fees)! and the terms and conditions of porting.
- No Unjustifi Rejections: Carriers are typically prohibit from rejecting port requests without a valid reason. Regulators often set a maximum rejection rate and can impose penalties for unjustifi rejections. For example! in Bangladesh! there have been calls to cap rejection rates at 5%.
Limitations and Exceptions
While number portability is a broad right! there are some limitations and exceptions:
- Geographic Limitations: Generally! you can only port your number within the same geographic area or licens service area. Moving to a new city or state might mean you cannot keep your old number.
- Rural Carriers: Some smaller or rural wireline service providers may obtain waivers from state or national authorities! meaning their customers might not be able to port their numbers.
- Special Numbers: Certain specializ numbers (e.g.! toll-free numbers! vanity numbers! short codes) may have different porting rules or longer transfer times.
- Cool-down Period: After a successful port! some regulations impose a “cool-down” or “lock-in” period (e.g.! 90 days in Bangladesh) before the number can be port again to another carrier or back to the original one. This is meant to prevent rapid! repetitive switching.
These rules collectively aim to create a competitive market where consumers have the freom to choose bas on service quality and price! rather than being ti down by their phone.
