MNP in United Kingdom

In the UK, Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is regulated under Sections 51 and 58 of the Communications Act 2003, which grant Ofcom the statutory authority to impose obligations on communications providers to support number portability. These regulations require telecommunications providers to enable customers to retain their mobile phone numbers when switching between service providers.

In the UK, mobile number portability follows a donor-led process, meaning the current provider (donor) is responsible for handling porting requests for the numbers they own. Porting is based on a PAC (Porting Authorisation Code) issued by the donor provider and shared with the new provider to initiate the transfer. While customers can request PAC or STAC codes through different channels such as SMS, online, or phone, the actual porting execution is performed only on working days within defined processing windows. The process typically completes within one business day, provided the request is submitted before the operational cutoff time.

• Portability in the UK is based on a PAC (Porting Authorisation Code).
• A PAC is valid for 30 calendar days.
• The PAC format is three letters followed by six digits, where the letters identify the donor operator (e.g., TRU123456, VOE654321).
• PACs are generated and maintained by Syniverse.
• One PAC can be associated with multiple MSISDNs (up to 24 numbers in a single request).
• If requested via SMS or online, the PAC must be provided within 60 seconds.
• If requested by phone, the PAC must be provided during the call or via SMS within two working hours.
• There is no Ofcom-defined verification process, but for SMS requests the MSISDN is matched to the requesting number.
• The earliest possible porting date is 1 business day, if the request is submitted before 4pm.
• Requests made after 4pm usually complete within two working days.
• Port orders are processed only on working days in the UK.
• The latest porting date can be up to 30 days in the future or until the PAC expires.
• Porting cancellation can only be done by the recipient provider.
• Rescheduling is also handled by the recipient provider and must occur before the PAC expires.
• Customers can port out up to 30 days after their contract is terminated.
• Ports are automatically locked at 19:00 on the business day before the scheduled port date.
• Port request processing takes place between 11:00 and 15:00.

MNP Lifecycles

MNP-IN

When a customer wants to join our network while keeping their existing mobile number, they first obtain a valid Porting Authorisation Code (PAC) from their current provider. The customer then provides this PAC during the onboarding process with our network. Based on this information, a port order is created in the system. The request is then submitted through the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) process to the donor provider for validation. Once the request is verified and approved by the donor provider, the number is successfully ported and activated on our network while retaining the customer’s original MSISDN.

Porting Lifecycle

Scheduled : The request enters the Scheduled status once it is accepted by the other service provider and a porting date/time is scheduled. The scheduled date represents when the actual porting activity is planned to occur. While in this status, cancellation requests can be raised. All cancellation requests must comply with the defined deadline rules.

Processing : The request moves to Processing when the scheduled porting date/time is reached. Active provisioning and technical porting activities are executed during this phase, and changes, cancellations, or reschedules are no longer allowed once Processing has started.

Cancelation Requested : In Port-In, the customer may decide to cancel the request while it is in the Scheduled state. The option is just available in the recipient. The cancellation request will be either approved or rejected. If approved, the porting request will be cancelled. If rejected, the request will transition back to the previous status, i.e., Scheduled.

Reschedule Requested : In case of rescheduling, the Recipient proposes a new porting date, and the request transitions back to Scheduled with the new date. If the reschedule request is rejected, the porting request transitions back to Scheduled with the original date.

Completed : The porting request is marked as Completed after successful provisioning.

Canceled : The portability request was canceled by the recipient service operator.

MNP-OUT

Porting Lifecycle

Scheduled : Request was accepted and is waiting for the recipient service operator to start the portability process. Recipient service operator can cancel the request at any time and the request will be Canceled status.

Processing : The recipient service operator will start the portability process on the agreed date.

Completed : The porting request is marked as Completed after successful de-provisioning.

Canceled : The portability request was canceled by the recipient service operator.

Authorization Codes

The system handles authorization codes that allow customers to switch providers or terminate their services. These codes are issued upon customer request and are used by recipient providers to initiate porting or termination processes. The two main types of authorization codes supported are PAC (Porting Authorisation Code) and STAC (Service Termination Authorisation Code).

PAC – Porting Authorisation Code

A Porting Authorisation Code (PAC) is provided to customers who want to move their mobile number to another provider while keeping the same number. The PAC is generated by the current provider and shared with the customer, who then provides it to the new provider during the switching process. A PAC can be requested via SMS using the shortcode 65075. The PAC remains valid for 30 days and is used by the recipient provider to initiate the port-in request. The system is responsible for generating the PAC when requested, securely storing the related information, validating the code during porting requests, and managing the PAC lifecycle within the system.

STAC – Service Termination Authorisation Code

A Service Termination Authorisation Code (STAC) is issued when a customer intends to terminate their existing mobile service and does not wish to retain their number. Similar to PAC, the STAC is generated upon request and shared with the new provider to confirm service termination. A STAC can be requested via SMS using the shortcode 75075. The STAC is also valid for 30 days.

Info SMS

An INFO SMS request allows prepaid customers to check their remaining balance. In the UK, this can be done by sending a message to the shortcode 85075. After receiving the request, the system processes it and replies with an SMS containing the customer’s current prepaid balance.

Required Customer Data

Voice Subscription (KYC) required Data

Account

• First Name
• Last Name
• Identity document
• Email Address
• Address

Business Account

• Company Name
• Tax Id
• Company Address
• Email Address

Port-In required Data

• MSISDN
• PAC
• Date

API endpoints

Endpoints were added as Mandatory and Optional. The reasoning for this clustering is explained as follows:

• Mandatory means they are part of the MNP core process and without them, it is not possible to go through the process from the start until the end.
• Optional means they are available to be considered by the Partner to enable specific business, customer service processes supporting the MNP process.