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I’m Ready to Ditch My Landline But Don’t Want to Lose the Number

You can keep it. Tech expert Ed Baig explains what you need to know


spinner image a phone with a rope being thrown around it
Paul Spella; (Source: Getty Images (2))

The devil is in the details.

Technology sometimes gives you the chance to save a buck or two. Remember the days of paying for long-distance phone calls? But getting to the point of saving money may require jumping through a few hoops.

spinner image Ed Baig

Ask The Tech Guru

AARP writer Ed Baig will answer your most pressing technology questions every Tuesday. Baig previously worked for USA Today, BusinessWeek, U.S. News & World Report and Fortune, and is author of Macs for Dummies and coauthor of iPhone for Dummies and iPad for Dummies.

Have a question? Email personaltech@aarp.org​

I can help demystify the process. Each Tuesday, I’ll answer a question about the tech you’re using or want to use and give you a quick tip to keep you in the know.

The question: How do I keep my landline phone number?

My landline keeps getting more and more expensive, and I wouldn’t mind dropping it to save money. But we’ve had this phone number for decades and don’t want to lose it. How can I keep it and our cellphone numbers that already have been shared with friends and family?

First off, I get your attachment to that legacy phone number, and not just because it’s the number practically everyone you know still uses to reach you.

A touch of nostalgia is at play here, too.

Phone numbers connect you to memories

If you’re like me, you remember the phone number you had as a kid and probably the numbers of your childhood buddies. These days, we often tap a name to call someone rather than each digit, meaning you may have to think twice if someone asks you for the number of even a loved one.

As one reader commented: “The kinds of things we’re trying to remember have changed. Rather than memorizing a dozen phone numbers, we now have to memorize a dozen passwords!!”

The point is this: The phone number you’ve been associated with for years connects you to your past as much as your present — and maybe to the retailers that ask you to key in your number as you check out with the cashier.

How to port your number

Whatever your motivation, the good news is that you can likely keep that landline number, at least if you’re not moving or are staying in the area where you live. The process, known as phone number porting, works pretty much the same whether you’re ditching a landline or switching from one wireless carrier to another, though you’ll find a few differences.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) outlines the steps, which start by contacting your new provider. Don’t stop your existing landline service ahead of initiating service with a new company.

Next, supply your 10-digit number and any other information that the new company may request. In most instances, your old company cannot turn down your request to port the number to a new provider, the FCC says. That’s so even if you owe money or get hit with an early termination fee.

Your old provider may saddle you with a fee for the trouble or charge you a higher rate for remaining services such as Wi-Fi that you had been bundling. But nothing prevents you from negotiating that fee down or having it waived. If you’re going to another company, ask the customer service reps to cover the tab because they want your business.

Transferring your number from a landline, or what is sometimes referred to as a wireline phone, to a cellular alternative could take a few days, the FCC says. By contrast, switching a single line from one wireless provider to another may only take a few hours or at most one business day, barring technical glitches.

3 things worth watching out for

1. Changeover hiccups. You may have a brief period where you have two telephones with the same number, the landline and a cellphone. Ask your new phone company whether you’ll be able to continue to use the number during the transition.

Once you’ve successfully ported your landline number to a new provider, make sure your old company cancels your account. AT&T says that for your protection, only the account holder can cancel service.

Phones with dual SIMs or eSIMs can have two different numbers — perhaps the old landline number and a cell number — funneling into the same device. But you may have to purchase an extra line from your carrier for the privilege.

2. Enhanced 911. You’ll want to ask the new company if you’ll be able to summon 911 in case of an emergency during this period, or whether an emergency responder will be able to call you back if you’re disconnected.

3. A potential roadblock. Though phone companies must generally abide by your wish to port over a number, people in rural areas may be out of luck.

A local wireline provider can ask the state for a waiver. If you’re in that situation, reach out to your state public utility commission for clarity and for any other options that may be available.

Bonus tip: Protect yourself against phone porting scams

A scammer may try to hijack your phone by covertly swapping a SIM card, or by conning a mobile carrier into thinking the caller is you, then asking to port your number to a new device that the bad guy controls. The FCC has adopted rules requiring wireless carriers to notify you whenever a port-out request or SIM change is made.

Be especially vigilant when it comes to sharing personal information with outsiders requesting your private data by text, email or over the phone. Set up a password or PIN with the phone company that must be provided each time anyone, including you, calls about your account.

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