Hi,

We are about to move house and the new property is served by a different BT Exchange. This means that our number will change.

I would like to keep the old number and the logical answer seems to be to transfer it from BT to a SIP provider. I am struggling to see how this works though.

I have asked BT to transfer the service and issue a new number which will happen on the day of the move.

I have spoken to Sipgate who have sent me some forms to fill in to transfer the number. On the forms it states that only active numbers my be transferred.

This seems to imply that I need to do this prior to the house move and thus be without a landline (and associated broadband) for a number of days. This is far from ideal. What I would like is for BT to move the service and then for me to instruct Sipgate to port the number. The problem seems to be that after BT do the transfer I will no longer own the number and it will be inactive and thus not able to be ported.

Has anyone done this? – if yes is there a way of doing it without being without a landline for days?

Just to say, you don’t own the number openreach do. From working th the trade I am aware that numbers can only be transferred within the same exchange or postal area. The provide I worked for lost a number of customer to BT as they were the only provider who change change the number. If BT can not change the number to your new address I do not think any other provider can on the BT network. Virgin may be able to do it, if you are in a fibre network area. But you will have to port the number to them before you move address. With going to virgin the concern will be, that at the moment you will not be able to port the number back to any provider which uses a unbundled service on the BT network.

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I want to port the number to a SIP provider that delivers calls over the Internet so not being in the local exchange area is not an issue – see below for more details.

http://www.sipgate.co.uk/faq/index.php?do=displayArticle&article=13&id=225

My question is more about timing than whether it is technically possible.

The time line will be any where from 7 to 28 days but your serive will be active till the transfer date. What you would need to do is cancel the homemover transfer with BT and get sipgate to port the current number to there service. You will then need BT to set up you new line at the new address as you will need a active line rental service to use sipgate. You will still have all the new BT service at your new as calls and broadband with the new number till sipgate send you the router and phone. There are not transferring the number just porting it to there database and then routing the calls down you BT broadband to a router/phone

Well, do the transfer right now – hopefully yo have left yourself enough time and your analogue line will go dead before you leave. Then, just use SIP from your old house until you move.

Rachel