GSM WORLD

Is porting the same as unlocking?

If not, please can you explain.

Also, when people talk of providers and networks, I dont understand
the difference.
Please can you explain.

Thanks

In message
c855f66b-4d3e-4da0-814d-a194ebe24978@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com,
species8350 Proclaimed from the tallest
tower:


No, they are not the same...

Porting is the act of transferring your phone account from one service
provider to another (eg from O2 to Orange).

Now most phone companies LOCK their phones to their network, so that you
can only use the phone with that network. If you have a (say) Orange phone,
and you want to use it with (say) the O2 network then chances are you will
have to get it unlocked.

Networks are the companies that provide the infrastructure to connect phone,
they are the big names, O2, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and Three
(Service) Providers are the companies that you use to connect your phone to
a network so that you can use it, they include the network companies, and
also other companies that piggy-back on one of the networks, so companies
like Virgin Mobile, Tesco Mobile etc. etc.

HTH!




--
Regards,
Chris.
(Remove Elviss shoes to email me)

ChrisM wrote in message
news:2cWdnYju9 AZq9DVnZ2dnUVZ8qTinZ2d@bt.com...

You can not port your account to a different service provider. Porting is
the transfer of your phone number only.

In message 484d525d$1 1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net,
Jack Torrence Proclaimed from the
tallest tower:

> ChrisM wrote in message
> news:2cWdnYju9 AZq9DVnZ2dnUVZ8qTinZ2d@bt.com...
>> In message
>> c855f66b-4d3e-4da0-814d-a194ebe24978@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com,
>> species8350 Proclaimed from the
>> tallest tower:
>>
>>> Is porting the same as unlocking?
>>>
>>> If not, please can you explain.
>>>
>>> Also, when people talk of providers and networks, I dont understand
>>> the difference.
>>> Please can you explain.
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>
>> No, they are not the same...
>>
>> Porting is the act of transferring your phone account from one
>> service provider to another (eg from O2 to Orange).
>
> You can not port your account to a different service provider.
> Porting is the transfer of your phone number only.

Yes, apologies, I meant to say NUMBER, not ACCOUNT.

Sorry for any confusion!


--
Regards,
Chris.
(Remove Elviss shoes to email me)

In article @m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>, not here.5.species8350@xoxy.net says...

> Is porting the same as unlocking?

No.

> If not, please can you explain.

Porting is moving a mobile number from one network to another. Unlocking
is unlocking a phone so it will accept SIMs from any network.

> Also, when people talk of providers and networks, I dont understand
> the difference.
> Please can you explain.

There is none anymore.
--
Regards
Jon

In article ,
chris mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com says...

Virgin Mobile and Tesco are not service providers, they are correctyl
termed virtual networks.

Service provider is something entirely different, and scarcely relevant
in today market.

Are there even any service providers left for O2 and voda?
--
Regards
Jon

Jon formulated on Monday :


Yep.

Jon submitted this idea :


Though Vodafone have a number of seprate providers - some are
Vodafone brands, others are third parties.