Continued from Part 2: How to move a landline number to a cell phone carrier

This Sounds Great! Is There Any Bad News?

Here comes the bad news. The Federal Communications Commission has made it illegal for all wireless providers to refuse a valid port request. A cell phone number can always be ported to a different provider. That’s actually the good news. The bad news is this is not always true for landlines.

Depending on the size of your landline carrier, they may have received a state waiver for porting numbers. This allows the company to refuse a port request. When this happens, you will not be able to transfer your landline number to any other provider. If your request is denied and all the information provided to the wireless company was correct, you may want to consider contacting your state’s public utility commission. This department will let you know whether or not your landline carrier has a waiver.

Companies without a waiver will need to honor the request and your number should be associated with your cell phone within the appropriate time frame. Once the port has been completed, your landline service should be automatically disconnected. You should then receive a bill for any amount owed to the carrier.

What If I Owe My Telephone Company Money?

A successful telephone number port does not remove your payment obligation. This refers to contracts as well. It is important to contact your landline provider if you are unsure as to whether or not there will be any sort of early termination fee. Moving a number to a new carrier will count as early termination if you are still under contract. This is especially true if your landline was bundled with other services such as cable or internet. You may lose discounts or incur additional fees for breaking the “bundle.” Long distance will never travel with the transfer of your landline number. Make sure that long distance calling is provided by your new wireless carrier before making long distance calls. It usually is but be 100% sure. Also, carriers will not allow portability if you have outstanding bills so you better clear any past due invoices.

I prefer Talking on Handsets. What are my Options for Me?

Yes! Don’t worry if you enjoy using a handset while at home. There are devices available which will allow you to use your cordless or corded handset instead of your cell phone. Docking stations can be purchased from a variety of sources and allow you to use your internal telephone wiring via cable or Bluetooth. All you need to do is set up the station and your cell phone in an area of the home that has reception. When calls come in, you will be able to answer using the normal telephone. If you need to leave the house or want to switch back to the cell phone, you can simply remove the phone from the docking station.