I just want to port my freaking number out!!!

[SunnyD]

2 ports, no cup.

Port #1 - The changing of the cell providers: The perils of prepaid carriers.
tl;dr version: New prepaid carrier will only port a number to a brand new, not yet activated SIM card. Of course I wanted to test out their service at my somewhat rural location home first to make sure I had adequate coverage before committing to them.

Port #2 - Home phones are for wimps.
tl;dr version: This one is a bit too tricky for tl;dr.

Newish subdivision, AT&T is the carrier. I was "fortunate" to be able to get DSL. Apparently some time around a year and change ago AT&T "ran out of capacity" for the subdivision and refuses to bring another line in. Mind you, they're still building houses here. AT&T has not been connecting anyone to DSL in our neighborhood for roughly a year and half now, so what I have is a precious commodity. It's either DSL or satellite internet.

What do I want? Simple, I want to port my home phone number to Google Voice, dump my home phone service which costs waaaaay to much for as much as we use it, and just keep the DSL until Comcrap decides to finish their build here (supposedly in a few months). Sounds easy, right? Nope.

I call and ask, to be sure, what happens to my DSL if I ask to port the number. Yes, it too would get disconnected since it shares the account number which is tied to the phone number. Then the question is, would I be able to get DSL back should it become disconnected in this matter. Given there is no availability in my neighborhood for DSL, the rep said a good chance probably not. Especially since I pointed out that there may actually be a wait list a mile long for DSL service in my neighborhood.

...

And people say porting your phone number is easy.

 

[jaedaliu]

Porting your number is easy. Your problems aren't with porting your number.

item 1) buy a sim card, test the service, and if you like it, buy a second sim card. It's the cost of trying to save money with a limited-service prepaid carrier. I'll assume you can do this and still save a butt-load of money over time.

item 2) Is money really tight? or are you just trying to save money? If it is, you can look into getting the universal lifeline discount thingy. Should take your home phone bill down to $10/month or less. Though, they might disconnect your DSL in that case.

 

[Midwayman]

Its probably one of those things that is entirely possible. Its just an issue of getting someone competent enough to execute a non-standard port. Usually 'can't be done' is 'I don't know how' with more phone reps.

 

[jaedaliu]

Its probably one of those things that is entirely possible. Its just an issue of getting someone competent enough to execute a non-standard port. Usually 'can't be done' is 'I don't know how' with more phone reps.

It's unlikely. Since the dawn of consumer ADSL, AT&T has required the ADSL line to be tied to a POTS phone line. Probably because the line has to be there and activated for the DSL use, even if you don't want to use it for voice.

 

[SunnyD]

item 2) Is money really tight? or are you just trying to save money? If it is, you can look into getting the universal lifeline discount thingy. Should take your home phone bill down to $10/month or less. Though, they might disconnect your DSL in that case.

I'm trying to get away from AT&T. It's less about money than it is paying for a service I don't use in any meaningful way. As far as the money goes, I just put two VOIP phones in my house a couple weeks ago and get better call quality and a shitload more features for about 1/30 the cost of what I pay AT&T just for a basic landline. BASIC.

As soon as Comcast decides to finish their build, I will end up with a Comcast business account and there will be nothing AT&T service related in my home.

In the meantime, I just want dry loop DSL, which is offered in my area. It's just the particular scenario I am in makes changing over to it rather difficult.

Its probably one of those things that is entirely possible. Its just an issue of getting someone competent enough to execute a non-standard port. Usually 'can't be done' is 'I don't know how' with more phone reps.

I agree.

 

[Midwayman]

It's unlikely. Since the dawn of consumer ADSL, AT&T has required the ADSL line to be tied to a POTS phone line. Probably because the line has to be there and activated for the DSL use, even if you don't want to use it for voice.

Never heard of dry loop DSL, eh?

 

[jaedaliu]

Never heard of dry loop DSL, eh?

I have now. Guess they've changed things up since I last looked.

I would go back and edit my post, but it's too late now, my idiocy has been quoted for all eternity!

 

[SunnyD]

I have now. Guess they've changed things up since I last looked.

I would go back and edit my post, but it's too late now, my idiocy has been quoted for all eternity!

Well at least you're taking it like a man. :biggrin:

 

[Gillbot]

lol

 

[SunnyD]

Yay... just got off the phone with AT&T (they called back after escalating the request last week). They've opened up a new DSL port, opened a new account for me just for dry loop DSL and gave me a new account number for it. I can happily port out my landline phone number without losing my DSL service now.

Bonus: I get the 6 month "new customer" promo rate for the DSL service too saving me another $16/month.