Transferring a number

[UncleEbenezer]

Are there rules about transferring a number without interruption?

I've had a small-biz service from O2 since the days it was BT Cellnet and been broadly happy with the service. Now I'm looking to keep the number but transfer to a personal contract. Since service from O2 has been OK, I thought I'd stick with them.

On Monday I phoned them about it. Nothing's that simple: apparently I have to take out a new consumer contract and a new SIM card, then they shut down the old one. It's all separate. They sent me a new SIM with a different number, and it's all "welcome to O2, new customer". Now I'm trying to phone them to confirm the smooth number transfer, but I can't get through to a human at all (after now 21+ minutes on grossly offensive muzak).

I'm minded to shop around and go elsewhere! Taking of which, does anyone's call centre answer reliably when called?

The worry is being without my number - as known by all my contacts, not least my nonagenarian dad who'll get upset if he can't reach it.

[update] Got through - after 24 minutes. What a faff!

[Infrasonic]

The new number should be temporary until they port your old number across to the new account, which could take hours or a couple of days, depending on how organised o2 are...

eSIMs have been around for a few years now (with the idea of speeding it all up)...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESIM
https://www.o2.co.uk/help/phones-sims-and-devices/esim

My Pixel 3a has eSIM capability, but the networks have been slow to implement their use.
Three only enacted them last month for example.
I might give it a go when I get a new 5G smartphone.

[AF62]

Are there rules about transferring a number without interruption?

Plenty - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecom ... e-provider

Taking of which, does anyone's call centre answer reliably when called?

Not any phone companies that I know of.

The only general call centre which I know of that reliably answers swiftly without a 'press this' or 'say this' is First Direct, who usually answer within a couple of rings with a human being asking sensible things like your name.

[rabbit]

That does seem a faff. I transferred my Vodafone number from my small limited company to my personal name earlier this year. The call centre handler who arranged everything was very helpful and efficient. All went well. It did involve a new contract of course, but on the same terms as the existing one which I was happy with. As far as I recall no new SIM card was needed, and once the usual credit check had been done and the direct debit was set up the transfer itself was more or less instantaneous.