BT Mobile UK Trials Auto-PAC Process for Easier Operator Switching
The Mobile division of BT (BT Mobile / EE) has begun recruiting for a new “Auto-PAC Switching” trial, which they say aims to ensure that the “improvements we are putting in place give the best customer experience possible when porting a mobile number / account from one supplier to another.”
The trial is almost certainly related to the UK telecom regulator’s new mobile switching changes. At the end of 2017 Ofcom announced that mobile operators would be given until 1st July 2019 to introduce a new Text-to-Switch (Auto-Switching) process (here), which makes changing operator as easy as sending a text message.
Under Ofcom’s proposed system a mobile customer would simply send a free text message to a number for their existing operator. In reply your operator should then send a special code that can be given to a new operator in order to start the switch (i.e. there’s no need to talk with support staff). The code would then be valid for 30 days.
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Ofcom’s Diagram of the Auto-Switch Process
Obviously BT’s own trial wouldn’t want to test this new process by pushing customers off their network and so it will be separate from their official mobile SIMs. Instead BT said they will provide trialists with virtual and/or live mobile SIMs free of charge for the duration of the trial.
The trial itself is due to start in February 2019 and will run until July 2019.
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Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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I recently changed over from Virgin to Vodafone in the Xmas period. I prefer Vodafone signal especially since Virgin (EE) data speeds are p poor in central London at less than 1Mbps. Number switchover was brilliant so the current system of getting your PAC code is not an issue as I can see as have changed my network quite a few rimes in the past decade and only takes a day. So far Vodafone are looking amazing fast data and WiFiCalling! Plus an added bonus that benefits me by having voicemail forward to my own PBX voicemail which I never had that option with Virgin.