You can keep your existing numbers when you move to Orange from another mobile network. The process is called Mobile Number Portability (MNP) or porting.

The first step when porting a number is to ask for a Port Authorisation Code (PAC) from your current mobile provider. You will need to do this, as we're not allowed to do it on your behalf.

Once your current mobile provider has given you the PAC, you can ask them to allow your number to be transferred to Orange. You have 30 days to do this before the PAC runs out. You then give us the PAC and mobile details, and we do the rest.

If you have fewer than 25 numbers to port, we can usually do this within five working days. With more than 25 numbers, the process can take up to 30 days, depending on how many numbers are being ported. We recommend porting no more than 150 numbers per day, to make sure we can monitor the process and ensure it goes smoothly. We must receive the porting details no later than 6 or 11 (for bulk port) working days before the required porting date to enable us to set everything up.

Porting isn't normally done on Fridays, Bank Holidays or at weekends, in case there are any immediate problems, as they are harder to sort out at these times.

Before porting day, everyone porting a number will need instructions about what to do to make sure their number is transferred to the Orange network successfully. We recommend that people who are porting numbers should try and be in the UK on porting day. If they are out of the country, we can't guarantee that they will receive the SIM updates they need.

The instructions below have been used successfully by many of our customers in the past. You might like to pass them on to your mobile phone users.

• Porting is normally done between 11am and 4pm
• Make sure you are in the UK and have both your old and new phones switched on
• If you are porting on to an Orange SIM but keeping your old phone, make sure you have your new SIM with you
• Make sure you've saved your phonebook on your new phone or logged it elsewhere, as numbers stored on the old SIM will be lost when porting has been completed (see below for details on how to do this)
• When porting starts, the screen on your old phone will disappear. If you're changing your SIM Card, but keeping your phone, this is when you need to remove your old SIM and insert your new Orange SIM
• You'll be without your number while it moves from one network to another. This is dependent on factors such as network traffic and coverage, but it normally takes no longer than two hours. You can still make calls from your Orange phone during this time
• You'll receive several text messages from Orange updating your Orange phone or SIM. Please read and then delete them
• After deleting the messages, turn off your phone for 30 seconds. We also advise taking out the battery and SIM for 30 seconds, then replacing them. Your number has now been ported and your phone is ready to use

If you have any problems, call 158 from your Orange phone or 07973 100 158 from any other phone.

Before your equipment is delivered, the implementation team can label each delivery box with the user's details, to ensure the right person gets the right phone and accessories. You can specify the details on the label, but these are what we usually ask for:

• name
• Orange phone number
• delivery address
• set-up details (eg GPRS)
• Orange temporary number (if porting number)
• SIM number
• cost centre
• division

Another way we can help is by organising a distribution event. We set up a stand at your offices and give out the new phones for you. The event can also include training sessions and equipment asset tracking. We can help with internal communications, to publicise the event. Just discuss your requirements with the implementation team.

People who are porting their phone numbers need to save or transfer their existing phonebooks before porting day. Otherwise they will lose their saved numbers. There are various ways to do this, depending on the type of existing and new phones. The implementation team can give you any help and advice you need, but here are the basics.

• Bluetooth®
  Copying numbers from one Bluetooth phone to another is easy. Simply follow the step-by-step instructions in the existing phone's user guide and the new Orange user guide
• Infrared
  If you have two phones with infrared, you can use it to transfer your numbers. Some infrared phones will allow you to transfer all the numbers in one hit, others will only allow one number to be transferred at a time. See your user guide for more details
• SIM
  To transfer phone numbers using your SIM Card, insert your new Orange SIM into your existing phone and copy the numbers. Then insert this SIM into your new Orange phone. You may find that your new SIM has more memory - storing up to 200 names and numbers