2degreesmobile.co.nz/transfer: Understanding Number Portability

The 2degreesmobile.co.nz/transfer section, while not explicitly detailed in the provided homepage text as a direct link, refers to a critical process in the telecommunications industry: number portability. This allows customers to switch their mobile or landline provider while retaining their existing phone number. For 2degrees, this means attracting new customers by making the transition from a competitor as seamless as possible.

The Concept of Number Portability

Number portability is a regulated service that empowers consumers, preventing them from being locked into a provider solely because of their phone number. It ensures fair competition and consumer choice.

• Retaining Your Number: The core benefit is the ability to keep your familiar phone number, avoiding the hassle of informing all your contacts of a change. This is a key factor for most users when considering a switch.
• Provider Switching: It enables users to move from one telecommunications provider (the ‘donating’ provider) to another (the ‘receiving’ provider, in this case, 2degrees) without changing their phone number.
• Regulatory Requirement: In New Zealand, like many other countries, number portability is a regulatory requirement imposed on telecommunications companies to foster competition and protect consumer rights. The Commerce Commission oversees these regulations.
• Types of Portability: This usually applies to both mobile numbers (Mobile Number Portability, MNP) and fixed-line or landline numbers (Local Number Portability, LNP).

How the Transfer Process (Porting) to 2degrees Works

When a customer decides to join 2degrees and bring their existing number, the process generally follows a standardised set of steps to ensure a smooth transition.

• Initiate the Transfer: The customer initiates the porting request with 2degrees, usually during the sign-up process for a new plan (either “Pay Monthly” or “Prepay”). This involves providing their existing phone number and details of their current provider.
• Customer Authorisation: The customer provides explicit authorisation to 2degrees to act on their behalf to transfer the number. This is a crucial legal step to ensure the transfer is legitimate.
• 2degrees Contacts Old Provider: 2degrees then sends a porting request to the customer’s current telecommunications provider. This is done through an automated system or a shared industry database.
• Old Provider Verification: The old provider verifies that the number belongs to the customer and is eligible for porting (e.g., the account is active, not subject to a contractual lock-in that prevents porting without penalty, and the details match).
• Transfer Completion: Once verified, the number is released by the old provider and activated on the 2degrees network. This process typically takes a few hours for mobile numbers (often within 1-3 business hours during working days) and can take longer for landlines (up to several business days).
• Temporary Disruption: There might be a brief period of service disruption (a few minutes to a few hours) during the actual transfer, known as the “porting window,” where the number switches from one network to the other.

Key Considerations for Number Transfers

While generally seamless, there are a few important points customers should be aware of when considering a number transfer to 2degrees.

• Account Status with Old Provider: Ensure your account with your current provider is active and in good standing. If it’s suspended or disconnected, the porting request might be rejected.
• Contractual Obligations: Check for any remaining contractual obligations or early termination fees with your old provider. Porting your number does not automatically cancel these obligations, and you may still be liable for charges.
• Loss of Voicemail/Credits: Any stored voicemail messages on your old network might be lost during the transfer. Similarly, any remaining credit on a Prepay account with the old provider might not be transferred to 2degrees.
• SIM Card Requirement: You will need a 2degrees SIM card to activate your service once your number has been successfully transferred to their network.
• Keep Old SIM Active: It’s often recommended to keep your old SIM card in your phone until the transfer is complete, as it will remain active until the porting process finalises. You’ll know the transfer is complete when your old SIM stops working, and your new 2degrees SIM starts receiving service.
• “Free Carryover Data Promotion”: As seen on the homepage, 2degrees actively encourages porting with offers like “Bonus Data applied within 72 hours” for customers who “port their number to 2degrees only,” making the transfer even more appealing.

The 2degreesmobile.co.nz/transfer functionality is a cornerstone of competitive telecommunications, enabling customers to easily move their services while retaining their established contact details, thereby empowering consumer choice in the market.

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