A lot of businesses and individuals are making the switch to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) instead of using traditional telecommunication systems. This is due to VoIP being much more affordable and reliable, offering a powerful communication tool at a fraction of the price.
However, it’s not just a matter of switching over and the first question people usually ask is “can I keep my existing number?”. The good news is, yes, you can. It’s called number porting and while it sounds very technical, it’s not too difficult if you follow the right steps.
Why Are People Moving Over To VoIP?
With VoIP, phone and video calls are made over the Internet and not through copper wires. It doesn’t require any bulky infrastructure and the best part is that you can use it from anywhere with an Internet connection.
Given the rise of remote work and digital nomads, using VoIP is the best way to stay connected without being tied to one physical location.
Moreover, it comes with a range of features and CRM integrations to help businesses keep their activities running smoothly.
So whether you’re a huge corporate company, a small startup or just a one-man business, VoIP is a modern tool that everyone can benefit from.
5 Key Steps To Port Your Phone Number To VoIP
If you plan on making the leap to VoIP, there are a couple of important steps to take to get your number ported correctly.
Choose A VoIP Provider That Offers Porting
Before you can do anything else, you need to select a VoIP service provider. Each one offers something different and not all of them offer porting so it’s crucial that you pick one that does.
When looking at service providers, ask about the porting availability for your type of number and region. It’s also good to know pricing options because some providers will charge you a once-off porting fee.
Don’t Go Ahead With Cancelling Your Current Service
This is a mistake that happens quite regularly where people cancel their current phone service before the porting process is complete.
Remember, your number needs to be active in order for it to be ported so if you cancel your account too soon, you could lose the number entirely.
Only once the porting has been finalised can you proceed with cancelling or it may be done automatically.
Get The Required Information Ready
Your new VoIP service provider will need some information from you for the porting to happen, so be sure to have this all on-hand for a smooth transition.
You will need to provide things like your existing phone number, your name and address, a Letter of Authorisation to allow the provider to request the port and a recent phone bill for verification purposes.
Keep in mind that all of the information you provide needs to be the same as what your current provider has otherwise the process will be delayed or rejected.
Make The Porting Request
The next step is to submit your porting request which you can either do from your VoIP dashboard or with assistance from your provider’s customer support team.
Usually, you will be required to fill out a porting form and asked if you are porting just one number or multiple if you have a business. In some cases, you’ll be allowed to choose a date for the porting to happen which can be scheduled in advance.
The rest of the process takes place behind-the-scenes between your VoIP provider and carrier. For mobile numbers, it can take a day or two but 5-10 business days for landlines. If you have an international number, it may be even longer but your provider will be able to give you updates.
Test And Confirm
After your number has been ported successfully, you will receive confirmation from your VoIP provider and you will then be able to make and receive calls.
Check to see that outgoing and incoming calls do in fact work and if features like voicemail and call forwarding work. If they don’t, you can contact your provider for assistance.
If everything is working smoothly, you can go ahead with cancelling your prior phone service if it wasn’t done automatically to make sure that you aren’t still charged for it.
