For most businesses, changing mobile provider is one thing.
Changing all the mobile numbers your customers already know is quite another.
Those numbers may be on your website, vans, email signatures, business cards, supplier records, WhatsApp accounts and years of customer contact history.
So one of the first questions businesses ask when considering a switch is:
Can we move provider without changing our mobile numbers?
In most cases, yes.
UK mobile number portability allows customers to keep their existing mobile numbers when moving from one network to another. For a standard mobile switch, the process normally involves obtaining a PAC and giving it to the new provider.
That means changing provider does not normally mean starting again with new numbers.
What is a PAC code?
PAC stands for Porting Authorisation Code.
It is the code used when you want to move a mobile number from one network to another while keeping the number.
For a single mobile number, Ofcom says you can request a PAC from your existing provider, including by texting PAC to 65075, through your provider’s online account or by contacting them directly.
You then give the PAC to the new provider, which uses it to arrange the number transfer.
The important bit is simple:
PAC = switch network and keep the number.
If you genuinely want a new number instead, the switching process is different.
Can a business move several mobile numbers?
Yes.
This is where business accounts can become a little more involved than moving one personal mobile.
If your company has several connections, you may be transferring:
- Sales mobiles
- Engineers’ phones
- Directors’ numbers
- Shared duty phones
- Numbers used for WhatsApp
- Numbers tied to authentication services
- Older numbers that nobody is entirely sure who uses anymore
Ofcom’s switching rules specifically cover requests involving multiple mobile numbers. Where a business requests PAC or STAC information for more than one number, providers have obligations around supplying that information within defined timescales.
The technical ability to move the numbers is therefore only half the job.
The other half is knowing exactly what you’re moving.
What should you check before transferring business mobile numbers?
Before starting the switch, create a proper list.
At minimum, include:
- Mobile number
- Current user
- Existing network
- Contract end date
- Current handset
- Whether the number is still required
- Any important services linked to that number
This sounds basic.
It also prevents the telecoms equivalent of moving house and discovering three months later that you left somebody’s grandmother in the loft.
Businesses often accumulate numbers gradually. Employees join, leave, change jobs and swap handsets.
By renewal time, the account can contain connections nobody has reviewed for years.
Switching is a very good moment to clean that up.
Will your phones stop working while the numbers transfer?
There can be a short period on transfer day when service changes from the old SIM/network to the new one.
The exact timing depends on the networks and circumstances involved.
For example, EE Business states that where it receives a PAC before its weekday cut-off, a number can usually be switched on the next working day, with an extra working day in some cases such as later submissions, weekends or bank holidays.
That doesn’t mean every business transfer will follow exactly the same timetable.
If you have several important users or customer-facing numbers, plan the move rather than simply assuming nobody will notice.
A business with ten mobiles may decide to move everything together.
Another may prefer a staged approach.
The right answer depends on how critical each connection is.
Does requesting a PAC cancel your old contract?
This is where you need to be careful.
A PAC is part of the process of moving the number away from the existing network.
That does not mean you should ignore any remaining contract obligations.
Before switching, establish whether:
- The minimum term has ended
- Early termination charges apply
- Any handset or device payments remain
- There are separate airtime and device agreements
- Equipment needs to be returned
Ofcom requires providers to give customers relevant switching information, including information about charges that may be payable.
So the sensible order is:
Understand the existing agreement first. Move the number second.
What if one employee wants to keep their number personally?
That can be a different situation.
If the business owns the mobile account and the employee is leaving, the number cannot simply be treated as though it belongs personally to the employee.
You may need a change-of-ownership process, a transfer between accounts or a network-to-network port depending on what is actually happening.
The important question is:
Who owns the number and account today?
Sort that out before anybody starts requesting PAC codes.
Can you move a personal number into a business account?
Often, yes, particularly where the number is moving from another network.
Again, the process depends on the providers and the ownership of the existing account.
If the number is important to the individual or business, make sure the transfer has been agreed properly before changing or cancelling anything.
A ten-year-old customer-facing number is not something you want disappearing because somebody clicked the wrong option.
What about WhatsApp and two-factor authentication?
Keeping the same mobile number helps enormously, but businesses should still prepare.
Before switching, check whether important numbers are linked to:
- WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business
- Banking apps
- Microsoft or Google accounts
- CRM systems
- Authentication codes
- Social media accounts
- Supplier portals
- Security systems
The number may remain the same, but changing SIMs, devices or network settings can still prompt security checks.
Make sure the employee knows what services depend on the number before transfer day.
Should you move every business mobile number?
Not necessarily.
A contract review is an excellent opportunity to identify dead weight.
Ask:
Is this connection still being used?
Does the employee still work here?
Could two roles now share one duty phone?
Is the number published anywhere important?
Are we paying for SIMs sitting in drawers?
There is no prize for successfully transferring twelve numbers when the business only needs nine.
Can you switch networks and keep the same handsets?
Potentially, yes.
Keeping the number and keeping the handset are separate questions.
If your existing phones are suitable and compatible with the new arrangement, moving to SIM-only may be worth considering.
Other employees may genuinely need new handsets.
Again, there doesn’t need to be one answer for the entire company.
The purpose of reviewing the account is to find the right setup for the business rather than automatically recreating the old one with a different logo on the bill.
How long does a business number transfer take?
For straightforward mobile transfers, the process can be relatively quick once the PAC has been supplied to the new provider.
But a business moving multiple numbers should focus less on the theoretical fastest time and more on planning the switch properly.
Make sure:
- PAC information is correct
- Users know when the switch is happening
- New SIMs or devices are ready
- Important numbers have been identified
- Somebody is available to deal with any unexpected problem
Saving twenty minutes of preparation isn’t much of a win if your sales director spends Monday morning without a working phone.
Want help moving your business mobiles?
This is where BizLoom can take the headache out of it.
If you’re considering changing provider, we can help you review:
- The numbers you currently have
- Which connections should move
- Contract and renewal dates
- Existing tariffs
- Data requirements
- Handsets
- SIM-only options
- Network requirements
- The practical switching process
The objective isn’t simply to move every number from Network A to Network B.
It’s to make sure the new setup is actually better than the old one.
Keep the numbers. Review everything else.
Your business mobile numbers may have years of value attached to them.
Switching provider doesn’t normally mean giving them up.
But the move is also an opportunity to look properly at what you’re paying for, what your team uses and whether every connection still makes sense.
Thinking about switching business mobile provider? Talk to BizLoom about your business mobiles before you make the move.
Looking for local support? Find out more about our business mobiles in Stoke-on-Trent.
If your contracts are approaching renewal first, read When Should You Renew Your Business Mobile Contract? and What Happens When Your Business Mobile Contract Ends?.
Business mobiles without the corporate nonsense.
