Transfer a satellite phone number to BT

[Interstella]

Thank you, Keith.  Your assistance is very much appreciated.

[Keith_Beddoe]

I would be interested in the final outcome, if you can update this thread. Thanks.

[NeilO]

@Interstella welcome to the community and thanks for posting, I'll send you a private message with details on how to contact the forum moderation team. 

I can't make any promises regarding your number at this stage as porting it back to BT will require it to have been made spare and available on Openreach's network again but we'll be happy to take a look at your order and find out what's happening.

[JohnC2]

Hi @Interstella I called earlier sorry I could not reach you. I have had a look at your order and when it was placed the number port was scheduled for the 25th. The number port request has been received by Openreach and is still showing for the 25th. 

The text you received about a delay was due to frames work required which should have been completed on the 18th but was not completed until the 21st. The order does appear to be progressing ok now with the revised connection date. I will check again on your order on the 26th and update you further then. 

Cheers
John

[Interstella]

Thank you, John, and apologies for missing your call earlier. I really appreaciate your help and it's great to know that the number porting is now going ahead.  I have been given a new activation date of 31st January, which is fine for me.  I've been waiting for fast Internet for several years...a few more days isn't going to hurt! 

[JohnC2]

Hi @Interstella thanks for the update and I've checked and the number port request looks ok as it has been successful and will move when your service is connected.

Cheers
John 

[Interstella]

Hi John,

Thank you very much for the update.  That sounds great...I'm looking forward to getting fibre after years of somewhat restrictive satellite Internet.

Many thanks to you, Keith and Neil.  Your help has been very much appreciated.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@Interstella

I did not think there would be an issue, as I worked for BT for nearly 42 years, and had a good understanding of the exchange configurations.

Without the help of the moderation team, I think you would have struggled to get this sorted, as it needed to be carefully managed.

I hope you will be pleased with your new fast connection when it is activated. If you do need any more help in future, please try this forum first.

[Interstella]

It's only now that I appreciate how difficult the number porting would be.  Had I known I would have just gone for a new landline number!

Many thanks for your help, Keith.

[Keith_Beddoe · Accepted solution]

Its not that difficult if your number was originally issued by BT, and you have not moved out of the area served by the exchange that the number was mapped to.

Porting a number out to a different provider does not normally present an issue, as most other providers can emulate any number, as they are not tied to the same hardware limitations as BT Retail are.

So provided you do not move, you can always port it back to BT Retail. What you cannot do is to port it out twice, to different providers, as they would not own the number, and it will revert to BT Retail. Each provider has ranges of numbers which they own.

In your case it was ported out to a virtual provider, so porting it back to BT Retail, who owned the number, was possible.