Porting my number from TalkTalk

[#1]

I was previously with TalkTalk before joining PlusNet on 18th March. Whilst with TalkTalk I moved house, from one telephone exchange to another telephone exchange but the same STD code. TalkTalk were able to keep my number. When I joined PlusNet I lost my old number and was given a new one. Since then various members of the PlusNet Team have been trying to get my old number back without success. I was told yesterday, 13th, that's it not possible because the old number belongs to a different exchange to the one serving where I now live. Checking through previous topics I came across one with exactly the same problem where the poster was informed by a Help Team Staff member that "TalkTalk served your line from Exchange A, but your number was on Exchange B this is a process called remote call forwarding. On the BT Network this isn't a possibility as the number and exchange have to match". My questions to the PlusNet Help Team are: why can't PlusNet/BT do what TalkTalk did; secondly doesn't this inability to port a number in these circumstances go against Ofcom's rules; and lastly are there any plans for PlusNet/BT to comply with Ofcom's rules?

[#2]

Hi there.

Thanks for getting in touch.

I'm sorry to see we're unable to import your telephone number at your address due to it being served by a different exchange. I'm looking into this further with the appropriate team and I'll update you as soon as I know more.

[#3]

Having discussed this with the appropriate people, the telephone number you had through Remote Call Forwarding wouldn't have been ported to your exchange, but the access to that number simply provided through this network feature.

Remote Call Forwarding is a network feature which can be used when a phone number is ceased, so it's very likely that when you moved house to a different exchange that you were provided a new phone number, but through this feature on the surface it made it appear that you still had the same number as calls were being forwarded through this.

To try go into a bit more detail as an example a broadband service at Exchange A can only be provided on a phone number that is provided at Exchange A, so the actual Directory Number(DN) or Caller Line Identity (CLI) of the line would've been a different number provided at the correct exchange basically making Remote Call Forwarding a layer of paint so to speak.

In summary, I'm afraid that we're unable to port your telephone number at the address you're currently residing due to the exchange being different and that we don't offer the product TalkTalk do.

Sorry that this doesn't help you get your same number back you had, but I hope it helps explain our position.

[#4]

Thanks Gandalf for your input.

Finish.

[#5]

No problem.

Let us know if you have any further queries.