[a_ukboy]

I'm almost all set up now, sim cards arrived but when i put it into my mobile i get sim card registration failed, upon speaking to vodafone they look into it and tell me i've not beed asigned a mobile number so my sim will not activate until the number port goes through, this seems a strange way to me, all the other networks i've ported too give you a number until the port happens!

So is this just Voda's way of doing it?

[Hands0n]

It may well be the new way that Vodafone are handling known number ports - I presume that you had told them at the outset that you wanted to port in to them?

Handling number porting is quite difficult although it should be pretty much automated these days. I know that in the landline networks that Number Port is an archaic process, and worse when you get to updating Directory Enquiries and Emergency Services. Mobile should be better than landline - but that is a pretty big 'should' :)

I suspect that Vodafone are trying to maintain a tight(er) control on their inventory of mobile numbers. The other mobile network operators would find that desirable also, but may not have the technology to do so.

[a_ukboy]

Well i did tell them from the start because i got told by Vodafone that you can't arrange a number port once you're connected?

[Ben]

None of my recent ports to Vodafone resulted in a temporary number being issued - the SIM was effectively dead until the port went through.

Indeed, I believe you also have to 'open' the contract with your PAC if you're porting in. At least that's what they imply.

[a_ukboy]

None of my recent ports to Vodafone resulted in a temporary number being issued - the SIM was effectively dead until the port went through.

Indeed, I believe you also have to 'open' the contract with your PAC if you're porting in. At least that's what they imply.

Ok, they just seem to do things differently then the other networks

[DBMandrake]

Networks can sell "blank SIM's" which is just a SIM that doesn't yet have a phone number associated with it. They are usually used when you are replacing a physical SIM due to damage/wear/loss etc, but staying on the same network - you buy the blank SIM and they transfer your existing number over.

Looks like Vodafone does this for numbers ported in as well, probably as mentioned to save wasting numbers, and because you weren't an existing Vodafone customer. I'm sure though if you already had an active Vodafone SIM/number they would be willing to port your old number onto that SIM instead. (For example if you had bought a Vodafone SIM to test their network and then later decided to port your real number to them...)