| Some consumers are hesitant to change their cell | | | | prepaid services, as always, no long-term contracts or |
| phone provider, even if they see a better deal, simply | | | | related fees will apply. |
| because too many people already know their existing | | | | LNP doesn't mean, however, that you can use a cell |
| cell phone number. Meanwhile, that cell phone contract | | | | phone as an extension of a landline phone; if you |
| service may be costing you an arm and a leg every | | | | transfer your landline phone number to your cell phone, |
| month. You can better manage your cellular budget | | | | your landline service will be disconnected. In the future, |
| with prepaid, and you don't have to lose your old cell | | | | carriers may be able to offer such a service, however. |
| number. Depending on your carrier, there may be a | | | | For the time being, the best way to use your cell |
| small fee involved for the transfer of service. | | | | phone as an extension of your home phone is to use |
| The FCC has required most carriers to implement | | | | the call forwarding feature of your landline home |
| Local Number Portability (LNP), which is a service that | | | | phone. |
| lets you transfer a phone number to another carrier, so | | | | You can transfer a phone number regardless of your |
| long as the new carrier is still in your local area. You | | | | carrier, the FCC has mandated that a carrier may not |
| can take advantage of the LNP mandate to switch | | | | refuse to port a phone number to another carrier. If |
| wireless carriers and keep the same number, or even | | | | you want to port a phone number to a new service, |
| to transfer your landline phone to a cell phone. You | | | | contact your new provider first, they are the ones |
| can't transfer a pager number, toll free number, or | | | | who will take care of the transfer. Don't cancel your |
| some other types of special use numbers. | | | | old service before the porting process begins, or you |
| Usually, when you transfer your phone number from | | | | may lose the ability to transfer the number. Also be |
| an old service to a new service, your old service will | | | | aware that cellular providers sometimes have |
| be disconnected automatically. If your old service was | | | | incompatible telephones, and even though you may be |
| a contract type cell phone service, and your contract | | | | keeping the same phone number, you may still need to |
| has not yet expired, you may still have to pay fees to | | | | buy another cell phone. |
| the old service. But if you're transferring between | | | | |