topic Swapping phone numbers in SIM cards & Porting

Swapping phone numbers

Hootie99 — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:41:09 GMT

I recently signed a 24 month sim only contract with EE. I work away from home three days a week and unfortunately where i stay has absolutely no ee coverage indoors or outside unless standing in the middle of the road! I am stuck as i do need to be contacted. My wife urrently has a month to month sim (with ee). What I would like to do is swap the phone numbers, so essentially my wifes number is the 24 month contract and mine becomes the month to month, then if i cannot sort something out will port that number to another supplier who can get coverage where i am. Is this possible, swapping numbers, don’t want to cancel the contract, just swap numbers. Does anyone know if this is possible?

Re: Swapping phone numbers

bristolian — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 18:26:51 GMT

You could only complete this with the use of an intermediate third line. Also the very act of porting a number acts to cancel the original contract - which incurs early termination costs.

If EE coverage in a particular location is so poor, why did you re-sign for a minimum of 2 further years? WiFi-calling would be a good solution indoors, no network has 100% national indoor coverage.

Re: Swapping phone numbers

XRaySpeX — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 18:58:52 GMT

Not possible! As soon as you move 1 no. anywhere you cancel the contract (you) or PAYG plan (wife) to which it was attached.

Re: Swapping phone numbers

Hootie99 — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 19:52:29 GMT

Wasn’t staying there at the time. Coverage is not poor but non existant! No wifi! Not really sure why changing a phone number should really constitute a termination of a contract when you are continuing to pay the contract, but there you go. Just swapping two numbers doesn't seem beyond the capabilities of somebody, would purchase a third sim to do it!

Re: Swapping phone numbers

Chris_B — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 19:59:20 GMT

@Hootie99 Moving a number from a contract sim closes the account regardless if you’re still within the contract term, that’s how number ports work as it’s an automated process. You cannot have a contract without a number attached to it. And porting the PAYG number to your contract sim first will automatically dispose of your number and that will then be unretrievable.

Re: Swapping phone numbers

XRaySpeX — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 20:23:01 GMT

3rd SIM won't do it.

A mobile contract is for a mobile phone line. A line with no number is not a line.

Re: Swapping phone numbers

bristolian — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 20:52:05 GMT

@Hootie99 wrote:

Not really sure why changing a phone number should really constitute a termination of a contract when you are continuing to pay the contract, but there you go. Just swapping two numbers doesn't seem beyond the capabilities of somebody, would purchase a third sim to do it!

A change of phone number on a line doesn't constitute a termination of contract.

One SIM = one number. In order to apply a number to a new SIM, it needs to be released from the existing SIM - this can only realistically be done via a port-out which terminates an existing subscription.