Thursday, April 16, 2009

No Porto Me Telefono

We're moving from one house to another in the same town. There is less than 5 miles between the old and the new house. But the current phone/internet provider can't provide service in the new location.

I really wanted to keep our old phone number--"port it over"--in telecommunicationspeak. You can do it with cell phones and sometimes with land lines.

There are two providers for landlines and internet for the new house area. To make a long story short, the only way I can keep the old number is by paying for something called "switch call forwarding." This means the call to the number is received by the old phone company and forwarded to a new phone number at the new location.

But here's the catch. Apparently the FCC (in its infinite wisdom) decreed that you can't just pay for the switch. No. You have to pay for long-distance access, too. In vain did I point out that this would never be a long-distance call. Doesn't matter. Regs are regs. This would cost as much as a second phone line.

So we're getting a new phone number.

More better living through government!

2 comments:

JusticeSeeker said...

You might be able to port your landline number to a cell phone, and then just not have a landline at the new house.

Elaine
Norman,Oklahoma

Averill said...

How annoying! And how sad you're losing your old number...it's one of the few I have memorized. :)