How Long Have You Had Your Current Phone Number?

[The Doctor]

i purchased my first cell phone when i was 18 in 1998... i have had my number for just about 10 years.

 

[yode]

Anyone know what the fee is for porting a number to at&t?

 

[jcdDigix]

Had to change my number (3rd time) because of too many text message ads and anonymous callers (again advertising goods). Though at&t reps always tell me it will not happen again.

 

[diamond.g]

Anyone know what the fee is for porting a number to at&t?

AFAIK there is no extra "fee" for porting your number. Technically you pay that fee with your current service provider (WNP wireless number portability fee).


I have had my number for about 5 years. My wife on the other hand has changed her number a few times.

 

[tothelimit]

going on 6 years with my number. started with nextel, then to t-mobile, then to verizon, then to at&t on June 29, 2007

 

[KauaiBruce]

I got a new one with the iPhone because I wanted to get rid of my Verizon number that no one could remember.

I got lucky and got a great number that is very easy to remember.

 

[ACbc]

Just throwing it out there because i see comments like 'my number is easy to remember, etc'...

who needs to memorize numbers anymore?!?!

I've had my number since 2002 when i got my first cell phone. i was a little bit of a late adopter. my contact list is large enough that i wouldn't want the hassle of getting a new number and having to give it out to everyone.

 

[goosnarrggh]

...and a fresh new phone on a new carrier would be complete with a fresh new number...

I was under the impression that it was always possible (but not mandatory) to port your old number *from* any wireless carrier, *to* any wireless carrier. The only possible exception would be when you are moving, and you want to have a local number in your new location.

In Canada, at least, it's possible to port numbers from one cellular service to another, or from one landline service to another (provided the new landline service is located within the same local calling area), or from a landline service to a cellular service, or from a cellular service to a landline service (provided the new landline service is located within the same local calling area).

I've never personally been charged a fee to port my telephone number between service providers, but (in Canada) there is no regulation preventing a wireless carrier from charging a porting fee if they see fit to do so.

To answer the question, I've had my wireless number for about 1.5 years now (my first and only cellular plan), and my landline number (since landlines weren't actually excluded from the title of the poll) for 10 years across 3 different service providers.

 

[diamond.g]

I was under the impression that it was always possible (but not mandatory) to port your old number *from* any wireless carrier, *to* any wireless carrier. The only possible exception would be when you are moving, and you want to have a local number in your new location.

In Canada, at least, it's possible to port numbers from one cellular service to another, or from one landline service to another (provided the new landline service is located within the same local calling area), or from a landline service to a cellular service, or from a cellular service to a landline service (provided the new landline service is located within the same local calling area).

I've never personally been charged a fee to port my telephone number between service providers, but (in Canada) there is no regulation preventing a wireless carrier from charging a porting fee if they see fit to do so.

To answer the question, I've had my wireless number for about 1.5 years now (my first and only cellular plan), and my landline number (since landlines weren't actually excluded from the title of the poll) for 10 years across 3 different service providers.

It is (AFAIK) federally (USA) mandated (since 2001). So you could take your cell number and port it to your land line or vise versa if so desire. There are a few rare cases that number porting isn't possible, but for the most part you can basically keep your number for as long as you want to.

 

[nep61]

Just throwing this out there, b/c people are constantly getting new numbers. I've had the same number since 1993 when Cellular One was around, ported to Sprint, then ported to AT&T/Cingular (over 15 years with all three companies) and I'm wondering about the rest of you.

Same story here. Signed up with Cellular One in 1992/3 Don't quite remember exactly.... Oh, those roaming charges !!!

Had 1 phone number for the first year or so, then (back in the analog days) my number was cloned... and I got a $6000 PHONE BILL, (Lots of overseas calls) which Cellular One cleared up, and I was given another number at that point, which I still gave today. Still with Cellular One/Cingular/AT&T to this day.... nearly 16 years.