Moved out of Province. Number change

[jamie_wil]

I have been on PM for about 4 months. have been happy so far, other than customer service....recently moved out of province and wanting to change my number. i go through the online process, but it is only giving me some random numbers for new number. im in a small town and every local number here is area code 250-674-****. the only options im given are 778-208-****. i cannot have a number like this in a small town, especially that i am a self employed contractor who needs a "LOCAL" number for everyone in the area to know im local and not think they are calling some outsider. theres only like 3000 people in this town. 

ive sent an email to someone, about 10 days ago, and still have not heard any response. good thing they claim 48 hour response time.

should i get a new sim, and prepaid from another provider that can give me a real local number and then just port that over to PM. 

Jamie

[jamie_wil]

@kav2001c@WearySky@Luddite@ech_786@SD08

Thanks for all the comments and discussion. 

I ended up purchasing a prepaid SIM card from virgin mobile in a mall $5. 

Then when i got home, could activate it online. (prepaid only is onlive activation) put in local area, Clearwater, and boom, gave me 3 'local' 250-674 options for numbers. Then had to load the account with minimum $15 worth of minutes to make the number/sim active. 

Then went to PM account and did the port over. All went smooth. All was same day. 

A real local number for $20. money well spent imo. 

thanks all

cheers

Jamie

[kav2001c]

@WearySky the carrier needs to submit an application to obtain a block of numbers from CNAC. As well, CNAC sets aside numbers for various reasons (eg number is confusing for people to dial, is reserved for someone specific (such as 310-BELL being local everywhere in ON) or even mediates disputes on which carrier needs a new exchange based on circumstances)

[WearySky]

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@jamie_wil wrote:

@WearySky so a company, PM, owned by Telus btw, doesnt have access to any so called Telus numbers. why  do lots of people i know here, on NON- Telus mobile plans just go straight to bell,virgin, rogers etc...and got a 250-674 Mobile number? they didnt have to go sign up for a telus landline and port number to "xyz" mobile. its a PM problem, not telus is the only one who can give out these numbers on a landline. 

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PM is owned by Telus, but that doesn't mean they have access to the pool of numbers that Telus has available to them (likewise, Koodo has a completely separate set of numbers available to them).  Bell, Rogers and Virgin have access to those numbers (although I bet you'd be surprised at how many they actually have available, if you try to sign up with them) likely for a couple of possible reasons:

1 - People that signed up before the pool was all used up, who then closed their accounts (leaving the number with the company).

2 - People that ported their numbers in after the pool was all used up, who then closed their accounts.

It's not just a giant pool that everybody has access to, that's not the way it works. In order for PM to have access to a 250-674 number, they would have to have snapped one up before the pool was drained (likely happened LONG before PM was a big enough player to be considered in such a small community), or had somebody port a number over and then abandon it.  

[kav2001c]

@jamie_wil wrote:

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@Luddite. thanks for idea. i am looking into this. i actually came from virgin, tried calling them to use my old sim, but apparently they cant reactivate an old card, have to buy a new one, such bogus these companies. anyway, thats a different rant.

i now have to wait till im in a city (hour and half away) that has a virgin store to buy sim card in person, as cant buy online and ship one without picking a plan to go with the sim card. 

the town is Clearwater in BC. 

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Hey @jamie_wil

I have no idea bout geography but if you could, post the first 3 digits of your old Virgin exchange and I can get the LCA from that for you?

Doesn't matter number cancelled, just to see what else falls under that area

[Luddite]

If you must take that particular type number and it's only available as a landline from Telus, as mentioned earlier by @kav2001c, be prepared for much more than $20. Landlines always have a significant activation fee and will be sending someone to your home. Also, best read the fine print as I know some companies will not allow port-out in the first month of service.

Good luck.

[jamie_wil]

@Luddite

yes i realize, and will cope with the situation. 😉 i dont mind paying the potential $20 cost for getting a new number and porting. hope i dont have to pay more than that, but likely would. the length of time that this process will end up being is just as frustrating as the process, but will endure;)

thanks for initial advise. 

currently i am seeing if anyone local is willing to part ways with a local number on the local facebook classified page. 

[Luddite]

@jamie_wil You just have to cope with the situation. If you must have a certain number then go where it is available. Public Mobile is not going to get access to "traditional" area codes anywhere in Canada. At least as a business line the cost pre tax.

[ech_786]

Great response @Luddite

[jamie_wil]

@WearySky so a company, PM, owned by Telus btw, doesnt have access to any so called Telus numbers. why  do lots of people i know here, on NON- Telus mobile plans just go straight to bell,virgin, rogers etc...and got a 250-674 Mobile number? they didnt have to go sign up for a telus landline and port number to "xyz" mobile. its a PM problem, not telus is the only one who can give out these numbers on a landline. 

[jamie_wil]

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@Luddite wrote:

@jamie_wil You can also look at virgin mobile. If they have numbers that appeal to you get a tablet only plan; $5 for the SIM, $5 to starup. DO NOT use SIM. After a few days, port-in the number to Public Mobile. I think that is the cheapest way to get a "more" suitable number.

What is the town? My granddaughter has a virgin account and I could look for you.

@Luddite. thanks for idea. i am looking into this. i actually came from virgin, tried calling them to use my old sim, but apparently they cant reactivate an old card, have to buy a new one, such bogus these companies. anyway, thats a different rant.

i now have to wait till im in a city (hour and half away) that has a virgin store to buy sim card in person, as cant buy online and ship one without picking a plan to go with the sim card. 

the town is Clearwater in BC. 

[WearySky]

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@jamie_wil wrote:

i know there are still 250-674 numbers in existence. theres no reason i should no be able to get one. 

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There's a very good reason, and that reason is that Public Mobile doesn't have any 250-674 numbers available to them unfortunately.  Not all numbers are available to all providers.  The only way you'll be able to get such a number on Public Mobile is to get a landline, and then port that landline over to your Public Mobile account.

[kav2001c]

It's the same idea close to where I live

Everyone wants 416 numbers for business because somehow the "other" area codes don't carry same cachet

BC & AB are (IMO) the 2 worst provinces for numbers since area codes are basically overlayed province wide (which is why many people such as OP don't want to get a "funny" number since it very well can effect business)

ON & PQ did a much better job at some sort of geographical layout (and other provinces are too small to matter so far)

[SD08]

Would the area code 604 reach your town locally?  It's an older code than 250 and chances are better that people would recognize it over 778.  If that is the case, you can still get a 604 number for free from Textnow app, then try to port it over to PM.  I looked at Fongo, but they only have 778 as well.  It'll probably take longer to port, since you would be going from VOIP (considered wireline/landline) to cellular.

[Luddite]

Thanks @kav2001c; missed that Telus detail. 😢

[kav2001c]

@Luddite it appears like Bell (Virgin) also has no local numbers to Clearwater. See above link.

I suspect this small city has an overlay with a much larger metro area but I have no idea about BC geography so am unable to offer further assistance.

There are 3 local (250)-XXX exchanges but all are assigned to Telus land lines. Which is why I suggested a port if number is valuable (which it is since he is running a business)

[neilselden]

@Luddite,

Totally crafty solution.  Nicely done.  🙂

[Luddite · Accepted solution]

@jamie_wil You can also look at virgin mobile. If they have numbers that appeal to you get a tablet only plan; $5 for the SIM, $5 to starup. DO NOT use SIM. After a few days, port-in the number to Public Mobile. I think that is the cheapest way to get a "more" suitable number.

What is the town? My granddaughter has a virgin account and I could look for you.

[ShawnC13]

PM won't have access to all numbers.  Where abouts in BC are you moving to?  778 is no longer a new area code for the province and is pretty much through out the province.  There is a new area code that was just rooled out for BC as well 236.  As stated you could always open a line with Telus then port it over but that would cost you a hook up fee and all  of that.

[kav2001c]

@jamie_wil you CAN get that number. It just costs more.

You need to open a landline with Telus

Then port the number to Public

[jamie_wil]

i get that it is a local number in those terms and no long distance charges would apply etc..... but no one here has a 778-208 number. i know there are still 250-674 numbers in existence. theres no reason i should no be able to get one. 

[kav2001c]

@jamie_wil refer to CNAC here

Sometimes what happens is a specific area is part of a much larger area

As an example, in Ontario there is no real area code for Mississauga

Most people use Streetsville as an alternative (since Streetsville is a part of Mississauga)

But the area has a much larger overlay

Another really odd example is Hespeler

If your exchange is 250-674- according to www.cnac.ca you fall under Clearwater

http://www.cnac.ca/data/COCodeStatus_NPA250.htm

The 778-208- is indeed a local number see here:

http://cnac.ca/data/COCodeStatus_NPA778.htm

 Please note 250-674- is a TELUS LANDLINE only

No cell phones (unless you port it)

778-208 is a TELUS (Public) CELL