Number portability
Number portability is the ability for customers to retain their existing phone numbers when changing a carriage service provider (CSP). This allows consumers to choose between competing CSPs based on price, quality, type of service and (for mobile phone users) coverage without the inconvenience and expense of having to take a new number when moving between providers.
Number portability also eliminates the need for callers to contact directory services to find someone's new number, or the risk that people will miss calls as callers continue to dial their old numbers.
Industry provision of number portability is managed under the 
Telecommunications Act 1997 and the Telecommunications Numbering Plan 1997 (the Numbering Plan).
Number portability applies to the following services:
- local services—predominantly supplied using numbers in the (02), (03), (07) and (08) number ranges (but excludes telex or paging services)
- freephone services—numbers which start with the digits 18 and local rate services-numbers which start with the digits 13
- mobile services—numbers which start with the digits 04 (excluding analogue mobile phone service numbers).
Geographic number portability
Local number portability (LNP) was introduced for geographic numbers in 1997. While in general, LNP allows customers to change their telephone providers and keep their telephone numbers, it does not guarantee consumers can keep their numbers if they move to different geographic locations. Local numbers in Australia contain specific geographic information. Further information on LNP is available from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
Freephone and Local Rate number portability
Freephone and Local Rate number (FLRN) portability allows porting for customers with telephone numbers beginning with the digits 13x or 180x. FLRNs are managed differently from other numbers for the purposes of allocation and porting. The Numbering Plan delegates responsibility for allocating FLRNs to Industry Number Management Services (INMS), an independent not-for-profit organisation that administers a centralised reference database of FLRNs released by the ACMA for allocation to CSPs, and for porting between CSPs. Please visit ACMA Number Portability for further information.
Mobile number portability
Mobile number portability (MNP) covers all digital mobile service numbers irrespective of the technology used, except for satellite-only mobile services. Please visit the ACMA Mobile number portability FAQs for more information.
The contact details for network carriers are:
Telstra
Public Switched Telephone
Network (fixed line numbers) 132 200
Mobiles 125 111
Website www.telstra.com.au
Optus
Number Portability 1300 767 846
Website www.optus.net.au
AAPT
Number Portability 138 889
Website www.aapt.com.au
Vodofone Hutchison Australia Pty Ltd (VHA)
Vodafone
Number Portability 1300 303 030
Website
Hutchinson
Number Portability 1300 788 044
Website
Contacts
The Manager
Network Selection
Australian Communications and Media Authority
PO Box 13112 Law Courts
Melbourne VIC 8010
network.selection@acma.gov.au www.acma.gov.au
