Phone Port-Out: What Is It?

Weighing out the pros and cons of wireless phone service providers in today’s day and age requires using a fine-tooth comb. The United States Wireless Telecommunications Carriers industry has grown roughly 3% annually over the last five years, with 1,001 businesses recorded in 2023. 

Choosing the carrier that gives you the best bang for your buck is half the battle. Coverage is equally important, and having the ability to hold onto your current phone number is, too!

What Is Phone Port-Out?

The term “port out” is not a familiar or well-known term unless you’ve already experienced it with your service provider. Phone port-out has many aliases. A casual alias is phone number porting. A formal alias is wireless local number portability or WLNP. 

Phone port-out started in the fall of 2003. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sent boots on the ground to mandate phone port-out in the United States. 

So what does phone port out mean? It is an advantage to you as a consumer in the cell service industry. You have the upper hand in maintaining custody of your phone number in the event you decide to make a change between service providers.

Is Phone Port-Out the Same as Call Forwarding? 

Phone port-out and call forwarding are two separate operating functions that tend to get tangled in the mind of the consumer. Let’s untangle them.

Previously, we discussed what phone port out means. Call forwarding differs in that it allows the user to forward their calls or push incoming calls from one number to another automatically.

With call forwarding, you may still have an old number active in the system that is not tied directly to your phone. When someone makes an inbound call to that old active number, a setting triggers to re-route the call to your new number. 

You still get the call when it’s all said and done, but the final point of contact is not due to your number being transferred as it would in phone port-out, but to the provider moving the call for you (which may come at an extra cost).

Can You Port-Out When Changing Geographic Areas?

Another word for geographic, in this case, is local. Only some people stay put in their residence year after year after year, remaining in their local area. Many will find themselves moving five or six times throughout their lifetime. 

Moving trends begin as children become adults, graduating high school and moving to continue their education in college. Moving becomes much more difficult as the aging process settles in. By then, they may be achieving career goals and starting to have their own families. 

Unfortunately, how far the move is depends on whether or not you’ll be able to port out while changing service providers. Before you walk through their doors and request the change, consider asking yourself why you want to change providers. 

Are you contracting with a new provider because the service your previous provider offered could be better, and you are constantly walking into dead zones? That is one issue to address. Or is it just because of a flashy new deal the new provider marketed well that caught your eye? 

Whatever the case may be, you may want to consider whether keeping your phone number is most important or if you can survive parting with it and memorizing a new one since phone port-out is not available in all geographic locations.

Don’t panic if changing your permanent location creates waves and discomfort with your phone number. Non-geographical phone numbers are another option to look into, which will be covered next. 

Phone Port-Out Using Non-Geographical Numbers

Geographical phone numbers are local to a country and an area. You are familiar with the first three numbers used to call out to another resident in the United States, right? Those three numbers are the magic numbers, acting as the crystal ball in knowing where a caller is calling from. 

What about non-geographical numbers? Let’s introduce them. 

What Is a Non-Geographic Phone Number?

Think of a non-geographical phone number as an outlet that can move with you. Its locations are not defined by the first three numbers; they cover a broader area. Consider them as virtual phone numbers.

Do Non-Geograhic Phone Numbers Have Disadvantages? 

There are many benefits associated with non-geographic phone numbers, but do they outweigh the drawbacks? Let’s knock through some of the impediments first, then move to the good stuff.

The primary downside to them is that you can’t use phone port-out with your current number or any number associated with a service provider. You should also consider number formatting.

Each country has its country code identifier, such as +1 for the United States or +33 for France. In addition, they each have a specified number of digits. 

The United States uses three-digit area codes followed by three digits, a hyphen, and four digits. A phone number in France contains the same number of digits, but they’re written differently, with a space between every two digits. 

Because number formatting differs from country to country, receivers may be hesitant to answer a call if it's unfamiliar. 

What Are the Benefits of Using Non-Geographic Phone Numbers?

Everything has at least one benefit, including non-geographical phone numbers. 

Non-geographic phone numbers are popular when communicating internationally or cross country. It’s a great alternative to a landline or to a cellular plan that requires you to consider multiple package rates or deals to use international calling services without an excessive bill at the end of the month.

Here are additional benefits to consider:

• Non-geographic phone numbers have no strings attached. Accessibility isn’t limited, allowing for calls anywhere in the world, not just in the United States.
  
  
• Phone port out isn’t necessary. Keep your number; it’s as simple as that.
  
  
• Obtaining a non-geographic number is easy, with just a few clicks of a button or taps on a screen, depending on the device used to set it up.
  
  
• When you move, your number moves with you.

What do you think? Are you ready to test out for yourself what a non-geographic phone number could do for you, or maybe for a business plan you have stirring?

How To Get a Non-Geographic Phone Number

Many providers out there can equate you with a virtual number or Burner number. The first step is determining which Burner provider or app best suits you. 

There are over 40 different voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) apps to choose from, offering different service plan options. Their primary requirement is access to high-speed internet versus a dedicated cellular service provider.

The second step gets even more simple. You’ll follow the guidance of the app you choose and choose your new virtual number (or numbers as some apps allow you to choose multiple).

Depending on where you live, there may be limitations to virtual numbers, so carve out time to research if this is the best option for you before diving into the subscription. It’s so convenient with today’s technology to go through prompts on a computer or phone without thinking about reading the terms and conditions.

Heed Caution To Port-Out Scams

One person is always out there to ruin the fun, wouldn’t you agree? 

Don’t be a victim of port-out scams. A captor has no better use of their time than to diligently wait to steal a phone number. That number is the key to the world for them, accessing personal information, such as your name, address, birth date, and other pertinent information they use to steal identities. 

Are there safeguards in place? The answer is yes, as service providers try to stay one foot ahead of the highjackers. 

You may have seen these firsthand if you’ve recently changed services, as many now require two-factor authentication or a password to verify you are who you are before performing the port-out.

How To Protect Yourself From Port-Out Scams

To stay ahead of port-out scams, consider the following:

• Set up a password or PIN with your service provider if you don’t already have one. Your service provider uses this to verify you are who you are when calling them, using the chatbot on their website, or changing services in person.
  
  
• Monitor your emails. If anything fishy takes place, such as an email notifying you a password was changed when you didn’t initiate it, call your provider to inquire.

Getting Started With Phone Port-Out

Humans are creatures of habit, especially as each year comes and goes and we get older. Since change may not be easy to accept, phone port out may be the best option for changing service providers and keeping your original phone number. 

If you decide to hold an open mind and embrace change, virtual numbers open the door to a whole new universe. You may still keep your old number with your service provider, but you have a plethora of options to choose from to keep your identity safe by having access to multiple temporary numbers. 

Sources: 

Wireless Local Number Portability (WLNP) | Federal Communications Commission

How To Port A Phone Number: A Simple Guide – Forbes Advisor

Wireless Telecommunications Carriers in the US - Number of Businesses | IBISWorld

Here’s How Often Americans Move — and How Much They’re Spending | Nasdaq

Mobile Fact Sheet