RedSpeed Blog
How to Switch Telcos Without Losing Your Number
Porting your mobile number takes minutes to a few hours, not days, and there's no gap in service if you do it in the right order.
Short answer: you keep your number by porting it, not by re-issuing it — the process usually takes minutes to a few hours, and there's no service gap if you activate your new SIM before cancelling the old one.
What actually happens when you "port" a number?
Porting moves your number from your old provider's network to your new one. The number itself never changes — what changes is which network answers when someone calls it. It's a background handover, not a new number being issued.
What do you need before you start?
Two things from your current provider:
- Your account number
- A porting PIN or verification code (sometimes called an authorisation code)
Both are usually available in your old provider's app or online account, or by calling them directly. Have these ready before you activate anything with your new provider — it's the one step people forget and then have to backtrack for.
What's the actual step-by-step?
- Get your account number and porting PIN from your current provider
- Sign up with your new provider and get your new SIM or eSIM
- Submit the port request with your new provider, using those details
- Keep your old SIM active until you get confirmation the port has completed
- Once it's done, your old SIM stops working and your new one carries the number
The order matters. Cancelling your old service before the port completes is the single most common way people end up with an actual gap in service — the port needs an active account to port from.
How long does it actually take?
Often minutes for mobile ports within Australia, sometimes a few hours if there's a manual check involved. It's rarely an overnight process unless something's mismatched.
What rights do you have if it goes wrong?
Australian consumer protections cover porting delays and disputes — if a port is dragging or being blocked without a valid reason, you can raise it with your new provider first, and escalate to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman if it's not resolved.
RedSpeed's mobile plans are eSIM-ready, which means you can often have the new plan active before your old one is even cancelled — see eSIM vs physical SIM for how that removes the downtime question entirely.
Common questions
Will I lose service while my number ports?
If you activate the new SIM before your port completes and don't cancel your old service early, there's no gap — the switch happens in the background.
What do I need from my old provider?
Usually your account number and a PIN or verification code, both available from your old provider's app, account portal, or by calling them.
What if my port gets rejected?
Usually a mismatch — the details you entered don't exactly match what your old provider has on file. Double-check spelling and account details and try again.