Keep Your Landline Phone Number with This Useful Guide

As the UK transitions from the old copper network to digital voice or VoIP many people have concerns about the process and what it means for them. One common question is:

Can you keep your landline phone number when switching to digital voice or VoIP?

And the answer is yes! Yes, you can keep your landline phone number! For some, this will be welcome news. Especially when changing your landline number comes with the anxiety-inducing chore of informing friends, family, your GP, and utilities etc of the fact.

If your current provider is switching you to VoIP then you won’t need to do anything to keep your current number. If you move to a new phone service provider, you can do something called phone number porting, to keep your number. And we’ve fully explained that process for you below.

The eligibility of phone number porting UK

Previously, moving a PSTN number to another PSTN line due to relocation was restricted by geography. For example, if you moved from Norfolk to Yorkshire, you couldn’t keep your number. Today, when transferring a PSTN landline number to a digital voice system (or changing digital voice providers) geographic limitations no longer apply. However, there are still cases where your number port request may be denied.

• If there is a mismatch between the information (e.g. name & address) you give your new provider and that which your current provider holds.
• If you have outstanding debts with your current home phone provider.
• If you are locked into a contract with your current provider. Some will let you buy yourself out of said contract.
• If you do not have an active internet connection, you will not be able to port your number to VoIP.

The process of phone number porting

Porting your phone number to a new provider is straightforward in most cases.

1. When signing up for a new service, you will usually be presented with the option to keep your existing landline number.
2. On choosing to port your number, your new provider will give you a LOA (Letter of Authorisation) form to fill out & return. This gives your existing provider permission to release your number to your new provider. At Phonely we make this super simple. Our LOAs are prefilled in a digital format. All you need to do is check the information on it, alter it if needed & digitally sign. It takes literal minutes!
3. Carry on with your life & wait for the transfer to happen. Your new provider should keep you updated during the process & inform you when the number port is complete. The process can take anywhere from 7 days to 31 days. During that period, your service will not be interrupted.

What to check before you port your number

There are a few things that you should be aware of before you port your number to avoid surprises.

• Most providers, like Phonely, don’t charge to port your number, but your current provider might charge a release fee. Check with them for details.
• There shouldn’t be any but confirm with your new provider that there will be no service downtime during the number transfer.
• If you are using the PSTN then to move to digital voice you will need an internet connection. If you’re paying your current provider for that service & would like to maintain it, inform them that it’s just your landline service that you’d like to cancel & not your broadband.
• And, we know we mentioned this previously, but before switching providers, determine if you’re under contract with your current one. If so, you can usually pay to terminate it –  and find out the cost.

Why move to VoIP now?

Having broken down the barrier of whether you can keep your landline phone number for you, we should also give you some benefits of VoIP. VoIP saves you money on your monthly bills. It has features to make your life easier. And some providers such as Phonely offer Callguard an advanced security feature against scams, keeping you safe. All in all, porting your number to a digital voice service sooner rather than later makes perfect sense. Plus with Phonely, the process couldn’t be any more seamless.

If you have any questions about porting or Phonely’s scam protection, please click the links below or call our friendly UK-based team on 0800 112 5000.