How Does Number Porting Work? Process, Timing and Pitfalls

Your phone number sits for years on printed business cards, your website and your Google profile. Losing it when changing exchange means losing customers. Fortunately geographic landline numbers can be ported. Here is what you need to know about the process.

Which numbers can be ported?

Geographic landline numbers (such as 0212, 0216, 0312 and 0232), 0850 business lines and number blocks (DID) can be ported from one operator to another. Porting happens within the geographic area of the number; for example an Istanbul 0212 number is ported to an operator serving the Istanbul region.

What you need to apply

• A copy of the latest invoice (number and subscriber details)
• A company authorisation document or signature circular
• A list of numbers to be ported, with block details where relevant
• The porting request form addressed to the new operator (Ahize prepares the application on your behalf)

Process and timing

1. Application and document check: 1 - 2 working days.
2. Approval by the current operator: The current provider reviews the request; if no documents are missing, 3 - 5 working days.
3. Setting the cut-over time: The day and time numbers will move to the new system are chosen with you, preferably outside office hours.
4. Cut-over: The interruption is usually under 30 minutes. Test calls are made afterwards.

The total is typically 5 - 10 working days, depending on the number type and the speed of the current operator.

Things to watch

• Check the commitment period and termination fee of your existing contract beforehand. Porting before the commitment ends can incur a penalty.
• The registered company name and tax number on the invoice must match the application documents exactly; this is the most common reason for rejection.
• Do not close the old line until porting is complete; do not give notice before tests on the new system are done.
• Add devices that use the line, such as fax, alarm and POS devices, to the list.

New number instead of porting

If a new branch or a campaign line needs a number, a new one can be allocated within minutes without porting.

What Ahize does

We prepare the application, handle the correspondence with the current operator and plan the cut-over day. The first number porting application is free. To start, simply fill in the number porting form.

Frequently asked: will my number go dead during porting?

No. On cut-over day there is a short transition window while the number leaves the current operator and joins the new system. For that window we can set up forwarding to a mobile phone so that no call is missed.