Slow number porting in SA

The process is made cumbersome intentionally as to discourage the customer to port, nothing more. The Carriers use all kinds of extremely isolated incidents as general excuses.
Why not introduce a Network-agnostic SIM card that can be managed online? Oh wait, that would make giving your carrier the finger easier. So no.

I can understand the complexity regarding a Telkom/Neotel switch, though.
 
Last edited:
Hmm, my port from MTN to Telkom Mobile has taken almost 3 weeks now and still not ported. A few hours would have been wonderful :(
 
lcbxx said:
The process is made cumbersome intentionally as to discourage the customer to port, nothing more. The Carriers use all kinds of extremely isolated incidents as general excuses.
Why not introduce a Network-agnostic SIM card that can be managed online? Oh wait, that would make giving your carrier the finger easier. So no.

I can understand the complexity regarding a Telkom/Neotel switch, though.
Click to expand...

+10000
 
I was in that game for some time and can tell with certainty that if ICASA did daily random audits and could slap on spot fines for each transgression, many of the ports times would magically speed up in line with the regulations and many of the excuses and stories would disappear
 
Carriers all over the world are fighting tooth and nail to avoid their eventual future, dumb data pipes.
 
Coastalshark said:
Hmm, my port from MTN to Telkom Mobile has taken almost 3 weeks now and still not ported. A few hours would have been wonderful :(
Click to expand...

That is a bit strange, my brother ported from MTN to Telkom and it took him a whole 3 hours. My friend ported from Vodacom to Telkom and it took just over a day.
 
This article seems to focus only on porting of contract numbers.
Just a few tips for prepaid users:
It should be noted that when porting prepaid, you shouldn't have an outstanding amount on your airtime advance
or else the port will fail, but as far as i know only vodacom and cell c offer such a service.
Don't forget you lose all airtime and services from your previous network.
Make sure the person assisting gives you the correct size sim card
as a sim swap can only be processed once the port is finalised.
 
icyrus said:
Carriers all over the world are fighting tooth and nail to avoid their eventual future, dumb data pipes.
Click to expand...

How are carriers not currently dumb pipes ? Voice is about as dumb as it gets, yet they still make money.
 
TheRoDent said:
How are carriers not currently dumb pipes ? Voice is about as dumb as it gets, yet they still make money.
Click to expand...

The carriers always wanted to treat data as more than voice. Data can carry voice cheaper, so it cuts into the voice revenue. And we can't have that.

The pure data carriers (broadband, etc) doesn't carry voice, and in the US were until now not subject to the same requirements.
 
And i wonder how long it takes to port a fixed number to a VoIP provider. I have something like that in the pipelines
 
kianm said:
And i wonder how long it takes to port a fixed number to a VoIP provider. I have something like that in the pipelines
Click to expand...

It can vary depending on who from and who to and the status of the old account. One bad case is an old Telkom number with an auto-forward or auto-divert on it. There can also be problems with receiving calls on the new number from the different operators so best to check this out after the port.
 
i find it a bit silly that ports only happen over night (midnight).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X