# Mobile number



## NatalieTalbot (Feb 15, 2015)

Hi

Does anyone know whether it will be possible for me to keep my current UK mobile number & have it 'ported' over to a new service provider once I arrive in NZ? I've had this number for years so would prefer to keep it if possible


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

NatalieTalbot said:


> Hi
> 
> Does anyone know whether it will be possible for me to keep my current UK mobile number & have it 'ported' over to a new service provider once I arrive in NZ? I've had this number for years so would prefer to keep it if possible


Don't be daft.
Next you'll be asking if you can use the same sky box ;-)


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## jawnbc (Apr 28, 2012)

Actually, you sort of can. Sort of. You can link your mobile to a paid Skype account. When you use Skype to ring phones it will show your mobile number.

But it only works if you keep the UK number active--even on prepay--and probably sin't worth the trouble. Alternatively, you could see if any of the UK Voice Over IP (VOIP) companies will port your UK mobile number to their service--and then pay for the VOIP on a monthly basis. 

I have a Canadian "phone" through Ooma, a VOIP provider. Costs me about NZ$5/month and worth it to me. 5000 minutes of free calling in Canada and I can give Canadian contacts that phone number.


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## NatalieTalbot (Feb 15, 2015)

jawnbc said:


> Actually, you sort of can. Sort of. You can link your mobile to a paid Skype account. When you use Skype to ring phones it will show your mobile number. But it only works if you keep the UK number active--even on prepay--and probably sin't worth the trouble. Alternatively, you could see if any of the UK Voice Over IP (VOIP) companies will port your UK mobile number to their service--and then pay for the VOIP on a monthly basis. I have a Canadian "phone" through Ooma, a VOIP provider. Costs me about NZ$5/month and worth it to me. 5000 minutes of free calling in Canada and I can give Canadian contacts that phone number.


Thanks. Will check it out


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## inhamilton (Jun 10, 2011)

What you can do is, once you get here, go around all the telcos - Spark, Vodafone, 2 degrees, and see if your number is available. There's a good chance it may be. Each telco probably has about a million customers, and there's 10 million numbers for each. So I make it you'll have just a 1 in 10 chance your number will already be taken? It'll just have a different prefix to your old one (ie it'll start with 021 or 027).


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## NatalieTalbot (Feb 15, 2015)

inhamilton said:


> What you can do is, once you get here, go around all the telcos - Spark, Vodafone, 2 degrees, and see if your number is available. There's a good chance it may be. Each telco probably has about a million customers, and there's 10 million numbers for each. So I make it you'll have just a 1 in 10 chance your number will already be taken? It'll just have a different prefix to your old one (ie it'll start with 021 or 027).


Oh great!! Thanks for that


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