Published 15:35 IST, January 29th 2020
How to port Vodafone to Airtel and other things to know
Transferring your mobile number from Vodafone to Airtel is simple thanks to the mobile number portability service. Here is how to port from Vodafone to Airtel.
In the telecom market, every network provider continually tries to engage new people to join their network by providing better offers and services from the competitors. Thus, many users want to leave their existing service provider due to issues like inadequate service provision and poor network coverage. Mobile Number Portability (MNP) is a service that offers the users to transfer their mobile network provider to any other network provider without changing the mobile number. Vodafone users can change their service provider and shift to Airtel, Vodafone, and other telecom providers using MNP. Here is everything to know about how to port Vodafone to Airtel:
How to port Vodafone to Airtel?
Using the porting process to transfer existing SIM connections is quite simple with the MNP service. Users need to send an SMS request to port Vodafone to Airtel. Here is the complete process to help you send a porting request to your telecom provider:
How to file an SMS request to port Vodafone to Airtel?
- Open the Messages app on your phone.
- Start a new conversation with ‘1900’ (1900 is a USSD code).
- Type ‘PORT’ space ‘your mobile number’ and send the SMS. (PORT is case sensitive and to be typed only in block letters).
- Once the message gets delivered, you will receive an SMS with a UPC against your porting request. (UPC – Unique Porting Code)
- Once you receive the SMS with your UPC, visit the nearest Airtel store.
- Ask the customer support executive at the Airtel store to help you with the formalities.
- The customer support executive will ask you for your documents.
- Once the documents are verified, you will have to pay the portability fee.
- The store operator will complete the process and provide you with a new Airtel SIM card.
How much time does it take to port Vodafone to Airtel?
The porting process takes approximately four to seven business days to complete. During this time, users can use their existing postpaid or prepaid Vodafone connections. Once the porting process is complete, the current SIM card will stop working, and you will have to insert your Airtel SIM card to get cellular connectivity back on your phone.
How do I know whether the porting process is complete?
Before the porting process is over and your Vodafone to Airtel port is successful, you will receive an SMS on the alternate number provided. The SMS will confirm the completion of the porting process, and also contain a tele-verification code. After you have the tele-verification code, you need to insert the new Airtel SIM card into your phone and verify the tele-verification code by calling ‘59059’ and entering the tele-verification code.
What documents do I need to carry for completing my porting process?
- Address proof – Aadhar Card/Pan Card/Voter ID/Driving Licence
- Passport-sized photograph
Before the document verification process became completely digital, the users had to submit physical copies and fill in a physical portability form to complete the portability process. However, now the users have to get their documents with them, and the rest of the process is carried out on an app. As the process became digitised, the users now have to provide biometric verification at the time of verifying the documents to complete the document verification process.
Eligibility to port Vodafone to Airtel
There is only one condition that you need to meet before making a portability request using the MNP service. The existing SIM card connection has to be used for more than 90 days before a user can apply for mobile number portability. If the number has recently been ported to the current telecom network and you try to make another porting request, it will fail, and you will not receive a UPC against your SMS request.
Vodafone to Airtel port – what to know?
Though the MNP service makes the transfer of the mobile number to another network a simple process, there are a few things that have to be kept in mind before applying to port Vodafone to Airtel. These steps are similar for using for portability across all leading telecom networks. Here is a bifurcation of things to take care of before applying the Vodafone to Airtel port for both postpaid and prepaid connections:
What to know before making an application for Vodafone to Airtel port (Postpaid):
- Make sure that you are clear with your billing cycle and apply for a Vodafone to Airtel port around the end of the current billing cycle.
- Make sure you pay some extra money to cover the excess usage charges before your Vodafone connection is successfully ported to Airtel.
What to know before making an application for Vodafone to Airtel port (Prepaid):
- Make your porting application towards the end of your existing prepaid plan.
What is a UPC?
A UPC or Unique Porting Code is a verification code that is sent by your telecom operator once you file a porting request using the MNP service. It is used by the customer service executive to verify your portability request and issue you a new SIM card connection on your existing number. Every UPC has a time limit of usage and expires after the exhaustion of the deadline.
What is the validity of the UPC?
A UPC is valid for five days from the application. The code is used by the telecom operator store to port your mobile number to another carrier network. The number cannot be ported without the UPC. You can use the UPC only once and at a single telecom operator store.
What to do when the UPC expires?
All UPC’s are timebound and expire after five days of application. Users need not worry if the UPC issued to their porting request expires. They can make a new porting request, and a new UPC would be generated against the application to enable users to port Vodafone to Airtel.
Can I port from my postpaid/prepaid connection to any other postpaid/prepaid connection?
While both postpaid and prepaid users can file the porting request, the thing to keep in mind is that Airtel does not allow the users to port into a new prepaid connection directly. At the time of writing, before making their connections prepaid on Airtel, the user compulsorily has to use Airtel’s postpaid service for three months. Once the users complete their three-month billing cycle with Airtel, they can switch their connection from postpaid to prepaid.
Updated 15:35 IST, January 29th 2020