Mobile Phone Helpdesk Europe :: Helpdesk

Do you want to change over from your current provider to another telecomprovider and do you want to conserve your own phone number? At that time, this page will be interesting for you. At this page, we explain how numberconserving / numberporting works, what things you have to bear in mind and we give you a couple of tips.

When you have a prepaid connection or a (almost) finishing contract for a subscription, it's possible for you to change over to another telecomprovider. This is very useful when you're not satisfied with the services your telecomprovider offers or if other telecomproviders give you a better offer. The issuing of rules of the OPTA (Translation: Independent Post and Telecommunications Authority) make it possible for you to conserve your phone number when changing over.

What is numberconserving (numberporting)
When prolonging your current subscription with your current provider you automatically keep your phone number. You don't have to worry about that. But, when you're changing over to another telecomprovider you have the possibility to use numberconserving (numberporting). In this case, you won't receive a new phone number from your new provider, but you will take your existing phone number with you to the new provider. So, numberconserving (numberporting) is taking your existing phone number to a new telecomprovider. Apart from that: numberconserving isn't an obligation when you're changing over.

What do you have to bear in mind with numberconserving?
When you own a prepaid connection you can practically always change over to another provider and conserve your phone number. Do you have a subscription and do you want to change over to another provider, you have to keep an eye on the following matters:

1: Term of notice
You mostly have one or more months term of notice with your current subscription. Do you have a contract with a term of notice of three months and your subscription is ending wihtin three months, it's wise to resignate your subscription by letter. Is your subscription ending today, your subscription is already lengthened without any notice. In this case you still have a term of notice of three months. If you now resignate your subscription by letter, your subscription will end after a period of three months.

2: Resignating your current subscription
We recommend to resignate your subscription by yourself. You always have to do this by letter and send this by recorded delivery. The website "TelecomVergelijker.nl" provides a very handy Resignation generator(only available in Dutch). With this generator you can easily make a letter which you can send to your telecomprovider by recorded delivery. In this letter, you always have to mention that you want to conserve your current phone number and that you want to end your subscription at the end of the contract (if you don't, your subscription will end directly and you have to pay the costs of your subscription, untill the end of the contract, without using the subscription). Your new provider can also arrange your current subscription to end. In most cases, we don't recommend this, because you don't know the progress and if your subscription really did end.

3: Start conserving your number in time
Relocating your phone number takes about 10 days (because of the administrative and the practical side of it). If you already resignated your subscription, you have to make sure you requested numberconserving with another provider, at least 10 workdays before your subscription ends, if you don't, your phone number will expire.

Relocating to...
Every provider deals with numberconserving and numberporting in their own way. In the survey underneath we describe the procedure with numberconserving and what you have to pay attention to, ranged per provider.

Relocating to KPN:
If you relocate to KPN and your current subscription isn't resignated yet, KPN can arrange this for you. In that case you can start your new KPN subscription directly, or postpone it for two months, so you only have to pay a double subscription for one month (with your old provider and KPN). In this last case, your contract will be lengthened with three months. When you have a one-year subscription, your contract will end after 15 months. When you have a two-year subscription, your contract will end after 27 months. If you already resignated your subscription, you have to make sure you requested numberconserving along with your new subscription at KPN, at least 10 workdays before your subscription ends. In this case, KPN will arrange the numberconserving.
Relocating to Vodafone:
If you relocate to Vodafone and your current subscription isn't resignated yet, Vodafone can arrange this for you. In that case you start a new subscription with Vodafone. After 10 days, Vodafone will send you a confirmation by mail, after which you can pick up the phone and simcard with a temporary phone number. If you use this phone number before your number is relocated (and your new subscription starts), you call within the tariffs of your new Vodafone subscription. If you already resignated your subscription, you have to make sure you requested numberconserving along with your new subscription at Vodafone, at least 10 workdays before your subscription ends. In this case, Vodafone will arrange the numberconserving and will send you a confirmation by mail when you can pick up your simcard and phone.
Relocating to T-Mobile
If you relocate to T-Mobile and your current subscription isn't resignated yet, T -Mobile can arrange this for you. In that case you start a subscription with T- Mobile that becomes active at the moment your phone number is relocated. When you get a new subscription with T-Mobile, you will take the new phone and simcard with you, but you can only use these at the moment your phone number is relocated. In this case you don't pay for double costs. If you already resignated your subscription, you have to make sure you requested numberconserving along with your new subscription at T-Mobile, at least 10 workdays before your subscription ends. In this case, T-Mobile will arrange the numberconserving.
Relocating to Telfort:
If you relocate to Telfort and your current subscription isn't resignated yet, Telfort can arrange this for you. In that case you start a subscription with Telfort that becomes active at the moment your phone number is relocated. You will directly take your simcard with you, which contains a temporary Telfort phone number. If you use this phone before your phone number is relocated, (and your new subscription starts), you call within the prepaid tariffs of Telfort. If you already resignated your subscription, you have to make sure you requested numberconserving along with your new subscription at Telfort, at least 10 workdays before your subscription ends. In this case, Telfort will arrange the numberconserving.
Relocating to Orange:
If you relocate to Orange and your current subscription isn't resignated yet, Orange can arrange this for you. In that case you start a new subscription with Orange and this subscription will start immediately. When you start your subscription you will receive a reply-card for numberconserving which you have to fill in and send back to Orange. Orange will arrange the numberconserving at the moment the subscription with your old provider ends. You directly take a simcard with a temporary phone number with you. You can call and be called immediately at your temporary Orange phone number, within the tariffs of your new subscription. The calling minutes with Orange are unlimited preservable, so you can also put you subscription aside untill the moment that your phone number is relocated. During this period, you still have to pay the regular subscription costs. Then, when you start using your Orange simcard, you can use this saved-up amount of calling minutes. If you already resignated your subscription, you have to make sure you requested numberconserving along with your new subscription at Orange, at least 10 workdays before your subscription ends. When you send the reply-card back to Orange, Orange will arrange the numberconserving.