Can I keep my phone number when moving to VoIP?
One myth your traditional phone system providers tell you when you consider moving to VoIP is that you cannot take your phone number with you!
NOT TRUE.
With the pending switch off of ISDN in 2025 more and more customers considering moving to VoIP and keeping their existing landline phone number. A business phone number becomes an extension of your brand and appears everywhere from business cards to website to social media platforms. Customers and contacts will have your number stored in their phones since the first time they met you. Why would you risk them losing your number!
It’s not just the cost of getting everything being rebranded it’s the risk of losing those important sales calls when people dial your number and it’s a dead line.
Luckily that isn’t a problem with VoIP through KAT Communications as we can take over any kind of telephone number and move it to your new cloud based hosted phone system.
Similar to when you move mobile provider and ‘port’ from one provider to another this is how it also works when you move your number to VoIP.
Various numbers can be ported including, but not limited to:
- Freephone Numbers such as 0800 or 0808
- Low Call numbers such as 0844 and 0345
- National numbers such as 01302 or 01142
- International numbers such as +33 and +1
The great thing about porting to VoIP is you no longer have the limitations of the Openreach network and exchange. In the past if you were to move you could only keep your number if you moved within the same exchange area otherwise, you’d have to set up a divert and pay for incoming calls. This typically would incur more charges.
With porting to VoIP, you can move anywhere in the world with no restriction and no diverts.
Please note, some providers may charge an admin fee for porting a number but a KAT Communications we always cover that cost for our customers when porting in.
The Process of porting your number:
You will need to supply your new chosen provider with a copy of your existing providers bill along with a signed authorisation on a company letterhead to take over your phone number/s. These papers will be submitted through an approved OFCOM process to take over your numbers from your existing provider.
Lead times can typically be between 10 and 25 working days dependent on the numbers being taken over.
Not being able to port your number has been a myth banded around for a long time, but with the imminent switch off ISDN and the constant improvements of broadband such as the launch of full fibre broadband there is no need to be afraid of making the move.
For more information and to see how easy it is to port your number to a VoIP based phone system contact the KAT team on 01302 260195 or via enquiries@79.170.44.128
