Confused about porting process

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ros_b

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I wonder if someone can help explain this to me.

I'm trying to port my number from Altech Autopage to Cell C Direct (I'm already on Cell C with Autopage, but I hate them and want to change SP's). So first I have to phone the porting department so they can get authority for the port. Once this is done, I have to activate a new SIM card. So I call to do the activation, and they give me a new number for the new Cell C Sim card, tell me to put the SIM card in my phone and leave my phone off for 24 hours. This just all seems so silly... I have a new Cell C number that is useless, and in 24 hours' time, will cease to exist at all. So what's the point of getting the new Cell C number?

In the meantime, I have no cellphone number at all! My number, which I'm trying to port, is de-activated. Surely there must be a better way to get this done?

Plus... I need to use my phone for my diary, so do I really have to keep it turned off? Can I leave the old, de-activated SIM card in the phone for 24 hours with the phone on, then put in the new one after 24 hours?
 
I haven't had anything to do with CellC but when i ported from Voda to Mtn,Mtn did a sim swap on the new sim card i was issued with, that way you keep your same number....
For me i just used the original Voda sim till it went dead & then put in the new Mtn one,which came online not much later..
 
You supposed to keep your Cell C sim, just switch it off and on when it stopped working...
Perhaps Cell C aren't that clued up, you must be one of the first to port into Cell C :p
 
JK8 said:
You supposed to keep your Cell C sim, just switch it off and on when it stopped working...
Perhaps Cell C aren't that clued up, you must be one of the first to port into Cell C :p
Click to expand...

Haha... I just think their Allweek 100 must surely be the best low-use contract around.

Cell C certainly aren't that clued up. I'm sitting in one of their stores as we speak to try and figure out why my old number is not yet active on the new Simcard, and the poor service agent here has been on the phone with their own Customer Care for over 45 minutes now, with me sitting in the store.

<Sigh>
 
HAHAHAHAHHA. Poor service rep. hope he was able to help.

Basically, if porting (either when contract is expired or not) a request is put through from the SP you are going to, to the SP you are porting away from requesting that the number be released. Yes, Autopage also has mobile numbers allocated to them (for example, many long term Autopage clients mobile numbers have xxx-650-xxxx as their sub-area code, indicating they belong to Autopage. Like 082 was VC, 083 was MTN, 084 was Cell C before Mobile Number Portability). Once the request is approved, due to governments MNP stipulation, the number is transfered and activated on the new SP's network - allowing you to retain your mobile number despite moving across multiple networks. (This is a breeze for prepaid-to-contract, but with contract-to-prepaid there is no guarantee that you will retain the number). This process takes approx. 2 days to complete, and requires the SIM not to be connected to the Network during this period (the annoying 'don't turn your phone on' script from the service agent). Once completed, you will either be forced to purchase a new sim card, or you can use your old sim (the latter mostly in prepaid-to-contract situations).

Please be aware that things can go wrong. The most irritating is not having the number activated on the new network even after the 2 day timeline. One frequent reason for this is that the number is deleted off the SP's network you came from, but was never re-assigned to the network you are going to. In this case you need to contact your 'old' SP and have the tech. team reactivate the number and then re-assign it the 'new' SP. Again, 2 days turn-around-time.

Remember, don't scream, it only causes heart attacks :D
 
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