Switch mobile network in one day with a text
MOBILE phone users will be able to switch their network in a day – and take their existing number with them.
The move by watchdog Ofcom is expected to boost competition in the sector, cut bills and improve customer service.
Millions of Britons will be able to change their provider simply by sending a free text to their network.
The ‘text to switch’ system also means the existing supplier will not be allowed to impose a notice period or any extra charges.
The change is due to come in by July 2019. Ofcom said preventing companies imposing a notice period could save mobile customers around £10million in total each year.
At the same time, networks will be under pressure to reduce prices and improve service if it is easier for users to switch to another firm.
At the moment, anyone who wants to leave their mobile network can be pulled into a difficult, drawn-out wrangle with their operator.
Often they will be bombarded with hard-sell designed to encourage them to stay.
Firms may also hit customers with a notice period carrying charges that means they are still paying their old network even after moving to a new one. In contrast, the new fast-track system means there is no contact with the network beyond swapping texts.
In return, customers will receive a so-called porting authorisation code (PAC), which is valid for 30 days, plus details of outstanding charges. The code can then be given to the new network provider,
‘Easier to get a better deal’
which will carry out the transfer within one working day and without any interruption in service. Mobile phone companies have been given 18 months to put in place the necessary computer software and billing systems. Ofcom research shows around two in five mobile switchers – 2.5million people – say they experienced at least one major problem when changing. The watchdog’s consumer group director, Lindsey Fussell, said: ‘Too many people are put off by the hassle of switching mobile provider.
‘Our changes will make it quicker and easier for mobile phone users to get a better deal. Customers will control how much contact they have with their current mobile provider, preventing companies from delaying and frustrating the switching process.’
Rob Hilborn, of price comparison website Broadband Genie, said the reform is ‘fantastic news’. ‘Having to call up your old provider in order to start the process of switching is a pain and deters users from pulling the trigger on their switch, leaving many overpaying for their mobile contract,’ he added.
‘This change will make the process much simpler and removes an unnecessary hurdle. This could also encourage providers to offer better deals to their existing customers, which would be another boost for consumers.
‘For too long their emphasis has been on poaching customers, rather than trying harder to keep the potentially loyal ones they already have.’
Richard Neudegg, of price comparison website uSwitch, said the move was ‘encouraging’. However, he argued the system could have been made even easier if all a customer had to do was to ask the network they want to join to handle the switching process.