Cader NetworksWhat porting actually is
Number porting moves your existing phone number from your old provider to your new one, so customers keep dialling the same number with nothing to notice on their end. It is standard practice and almost always possible, whether you are switching broadband and phone supplier or moving a landline number onto a VoIP service.
The paperwork involved
Your new provider needs authorisation to request the port on your behalf, along with your account details from the current provider (usually found on a recent bill). Mistakes here, wrong account number, wrong billing name, are the most common reason a port gets rejected and has to be resubmitted.
Realistic timelines
A straightforward single-number port typically completes within one to two weeks of a correctly submitted request. Multiple numbers, numbers with special routing already set up, or numbers tied to older ISDN systems can take longer, and it is worth asking for a specific date rather than a vague estimate.
What can delay a port
- Incorrect account details on the porting request, the single biggest cause of delay
- The number being on a contract with an early termination restriction with the current provider
- Complex existing setups, hunt groups, multiple lines, or numbers already ported once before
- Porting close to the PSTN switch-off deadline, when demand on porting teams across the industry increases
Porting during the PSTN switch-off
Every business with a copper or ISDN line needs to move to VoIP before January 2027, and porting the existing number is normally part of that move. Starting earlier rather than later avoids the queue that tends to build up as the deadline approaches. See our business PSTN switch-off page for the wider migration picture.
What we do
We handle the port as part of setting up hosted VoIP or SIP trunks, checking your current account details before submission to avoid the most common cause of delay, and giving you a specific date rather than a vague estimate. See our business VoIP page.