Need to change Phone Number from 403 to 416 (with VOIP key)

[danifunker]

Hi Everyone,

I have a 403 number, and it seems that you can't change the number, and if you already have the VoIP key, you will lose it if you just delete the account.

I am hoping someone who has a Toronto number is looking for a Calgary number. Please let me know and I will trade accounts with you.

Mods: There seem to be no other solutions, and I don't really want to lose another $50 on this, what if I had to move across the country and needed a new local number?

[FONGO_steve]

what if I had to move across the country and needed a new local number?

The majority of the "big" phone companies will either charge a move fee, or a new account activation fee that's in excess of $50+. A low one-time $50 charge for a VoIP Unlock Key on a new number is in fact a very small price to pay considering you won't get a phone bill ever after. Also, this allows you to keep the old number active so friends and family can still reach you at a local number and not have to pay long distance to call you in the new city.

[Jake]

Personally I would keep my old number and buy a new one. But I do understand some would not want to do this. I am sure people would jump at the chance to pay Bell a one time fee of 50$ to keep an old number and get unlimited free forwards from that number forever.

Anyway, as a 'half' solution for you. Sign up for a new 416 number then just forward that number to your 403 number. The forward will be instant so you won't actually notice any difference.
The advantage will be you will be able to keep your old number, and have a new one, which will both come in on the same phone (so it would be like having 2 incoming lines on one phone).
The disadvantage will be that your outgoing calls will have the 403 number.

This might be used as a stop gap solution until you either sign up with Bell/Rogers/etc, or buy a new config.
I can't think of any other solution right now, apart from the one you suggested by swapping numbers with someone.

[TheHardy]

No one else stated this (and the other suggestions are valid), but I have a feeling that you will not get a 416 number ... best you can hope for is a 647, as the 416's are all extinct and only pop up when someone else "loses" a number.

The cost-free way of trading a config file is about the only cheap/elegant way for you to go (good luck though!). Jake's suggestion about call-fwd works except for the outbound CID issue. There are ways with configging your own PBX system to get around that, but it is a rather kludgy solution.

As Steve pointed out though, $50 is relatively cheap, all things being equal.

However, along those lines, I do believe that there should be a discounted program available for customers in your position...

[beverly]

I'm sure someone will chime in but since when can you forward a FPL # to a FPL #? It will work on the ATA side of forwarding "I think"

[Jake]

I'm sure someone will chime in but since when can you forward a FPL # to a FPL #? It will work on the ATA side of forwarding "I think"

You can forward it using the online admin pages.
I think it used to be blocked, but you can forward to another Fongo # now.

[danifunker]

Sorry, it doesn't have to be a 416 number, it could be a 647 number, or any Toronto local number (I think there is a new area code coming in soon). I think i'll try the forwarding option, it is a good idea! Hopefully I can find some Toronto local numbers that I can use.

[TheHardy]

I'm sure someone will chime in but since when can you forward a FPL # to a FPL #? It will work on the ATA side of forwarding "I think"

You can forward it using the online admin pages.
I think it used to be blocked, but you can forward to another Fongo # now.

Jake is correct (to an extent) insofar as you CAN set it via the web interface to fwd to another FPL/DV # (most of the time); I have had it where the call will not RING the 2nd number and just terminate in the voicemail, and that seems to have been intermittent. Not sure if it is still happening.

The one thing that you CANNOT do is forward TWO FPL/DV #'s to the SAME destination ...

FPL#1 --> home
FPL#2 --> home will not work ... you will get "That # is already in use!"

You can TRY:

FPL#1 --> home
FPL#2 --> FPL#1 (--> home) which should work under most cases, but may in fact terminate in FPL#1 voicemail as per my above scenario, rather than fwding correctly.

Does that clear that up a bit?