Wireless number portability

Review your existing contract or service agreement to find out what fees or charges would apply to cancel your service before your contract is complete. You can transfer your number to a new service provider at any time, but you will be obligated to pay any early cancellation fees identified in any existing contract, as well as any outstanding balance.

Do NOT cancel your current service — only active telephone numbers are eligible to be transferred to a new service provider. Instead, contact the service provider you want to switch to first. The new service provider will contact your old service provider to transfer your phone number.

Wireless-to-Wireless Customers – If you can, bring your wireless phone and most recent monthly bill with you when you visit your new prospective service provider. If you don’t have a bill, your new service provider will need to know your telephone number and one of the following: your account number; your password /PIN; or your phone’s ESN/IMEI numbers, which are located on the back of your phone under the battery. Your new service provider can help you identify your ESN (Electronic Serial Number) or IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity).

Wireline-to-Wireless Customers – If you can, bring your most recent monthly bill with you when you visit your new prospective service provider. If you don’t have a bill, your new service provider will need to know the telephone number, the account holder’s name and the service address.

Wireless-to-Wireline Customers – If you can, bring your wireless phone and most recent monthly bill with you when you visit your new prospective service provider. If you don’t have a bill, your new service provider will need to know your wireless telephone number and one of the following: your account number; your password /PIN; or your phone’s ESN/IMEI numbers, which are located on the back of your phone under the battery. Your new service provider can assist you to identify your ESN (Electronic Serial Number) or IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity).

Your new service provider will help you determine if you need a new phone. You will require a new service plan from your new provider.

No. With Wireless Number Portability, your phone number is the only thing you are transferring to your new service provider. You will have to arrange for new calling features, such as voice mail, call forwarding, caller ID, etc. As well, it is important to check whether any other services that may be connected to your phone number, such as Internet services, directory listings or alarm and security systems, might be impacted by transferring your phone number to a new service provider.

Each telephone number must be transferred individually. Remember that you are only transferring the telephone number and not the services associated with your current provider. Your new service provider will assist you in choosing a new service plan for the number or numbers you are transferring. If you are transferring some but not all of the numbers you have with your current service provider, you may be required to make new service plan arrangements with your current service provider for the telephone numbers you are not transferring.

As long as the phone number is currently active, it is possible to transfer a phone number from a prepaid wireless service. However, if the prepaid service has been dormant, the phone number may have been deactivated. Each wireless service provider has their own policy regarding how long prepaid numbers can be inactive before they are deactivated. If you are transferring a phone number from a prepaid service, you will not be able to transfer any prepaid minutes or other service elements from your current provider.

If you are transferring your phone number from one wireless service provider to another wireless service provider, your new voice service should be activated within 2.5 business hours. If you are transferring a wireline number to a wireless service provider, or vice versa, the service should be activated within two business days.

Your old phone should work while you are waiting for your number to be transferred to a new service provider. There may be a short period of no service.

WNP allows consumers to move a phone number from a wireline phone to a wireless phone (and vice versa). Your prospective new service provider will be able to tell you if they can provide service for your current phone number.

No. Only active phone numbers are eligible to be transferred.

You cannot transfer a number used for paging services, but you can transfer a number you currently use for a fax machine.

All service providers do their best to obtain the appropriate authorization for phone number transfer requests from the contract holder or customer of record. In the event of a situation where there has been an unauthorized number transfer, the customer should contact their original service provider to have the number transferred back.

You can transfer your number to a new service provider at any time, but you will be obligated to pay any early termination fees identified in any existing contract and be obligated to pay any outstanding balance.

A service provider can only refuse to transfer a telephone number if the phone number has previously been terminated or suspended by the service provider. In some cases, number portability may not be available in your area. Your prospective new service provider will be able to tell you if they can provide service for your current phone number.

There should be no disruption to 9-1-1 during the phone number transfer process from one wireless service provider to another wireless provider. However, always be sure to provide the emergency call-taker with your wireless phone number and your location as best you can. In the case of transferring a wireless phone number to a wireline service provider and vice versa, there is a potential delay of up to 24 hours in ensuring the correct customer/location information is added to or deleted from the wireline service provider’s database. Be sure to provide the emergency call-taker with your wireline phone number and your address or location.