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back to article Irish mobile numbers just too portable

The number portability system used by Ireland's mobile operators has been shown to allow someone buying a new SIM online to port any number to it, even if they neither own nor have access to the number. The issue became evident when one Reg reader became frustrated with the process of porting his old number to his new Vodafone …

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  1. Eugene Goodrich
    Paris Hilton

    CC

    >>>Anyone filching a number this way will have paid for the new SIM by credit card and so should be traceable, it added.<<<

    And nobody thieving someone else's mobile number would use a fake credit card to buy the SIM, right?

    Paris, because I know at least _she_ thought this through.

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Uh..

    I didn't get that call... and I've just recently (like in the last week) converted from O2 to Voda.

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  3. Patrick O'Reilly
    Coat

    Really?

    So those Free Sim O2 have been littering around the place could come in handy in the end.

    "Hello.

    ....

    Yes, this is Brian Cowan.

    ....

    No this is my real accent, the other one I just put on for show.

    ....

    Listen Hans-Gert Pöttering, the lads here say you can stuff your treaty up your ars*!

    ....

    Hold on, I've Gordon on Call waiting, one sec..."

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    ORLY?

    "Ofcom (the UK regulator) would very much like to move towards the Irish system"

    Except, presumably, the bit about people nicking other numbers. Even if you only have it for a few hours, there's probably loads of criminals that could take advantage of that.

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  5. sheridan

    Porto

    I went to port my number from 3 Mobile to Meteor. The only verification made by Meteor was calling the number to make sure my phone rang. Within a few hours my number had been ported.

    In theory I could have taken anyone's number.

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  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Appeal is actually Vodafone's

    this story suggests the appeal is driven by T-Mobile, O2 etc. Vodafone brought the appeal against Ofcom and 3. The other networks and BT are 'intervening' on Vodafone's side, but are not the primary appellants.

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  7. Arnold Lieberman

    5 working days?

    Took 2 working days to move from Tesco to Asda mobile when I did it recently. Ironically, it's not possible to get reception whilst in my local Asda for those all-important what-flavour-of-crisps discussions...

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  8. Robert Synnott

    Credit card...

    A couple of years ago I bought a new phone and switched provider, keeping my old number. They just asked me what my new number was. I paid by Laser, but that bit was done before they asked me how I wanted to pay...

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  10. Nick Greaves

    Credit card

    "Anyone filching a number this way will have paid for the new SIM by credit card and so should be traceable, it added."

    The porting pack from Vodafone is free of charge, so there is no requirement to enter any credit card details - just email and delivery addresses.

    SIM cards from O2 are also free, so the same applies.

    Regards

    Nick

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  11. whoami

    Nothing to See here

    yeah and did anyone forget how easy it also is to read someone else's voicemail! cause people flipping forget to setup passwords. I think only meteor does it the right way--> they use your PIN as your voicemail password but the other networks only make access difficult but not impossible

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  12. Matth
    Thumb Down

    5 days?

    It's actually 2 working days.

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  13. Alex
    Paris Hilton

    Yes please unified database globally readable for supplier (secure updates of course)

    It might actually make call logging and Least cost routing easier.

    No more lengthy number washing to guess which mobile network you're going to. Drive corporate landline to mobile call costs down overnight, consumer costs would obviously follow.

    Paris in the absence of an EE girl icon, cmon elreg.

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  14. David

    It's not even hours its minutes

    Porting numbers in Ireland can take anything from 0 to 60 minutes. The port's usually complete within 15 minutes of the process being requested.

    It's just a matter of dropping into a mobile phone store, proving the phone is yours if it's prepay (typically they ring you and verify the caller ID).

    Port details put in and it all happens very soon afterwards!

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  15. David

    Its like a DNS server

    The Irish porting system works a little like a DNS server on the internet.

    When you dial a mobile number, a server checks which network it's assigned to and routes it appropriately.

    So, porting a number's relatively easy.

    Think of the phone number as a URL

    The switch is like a DNS server

    and your phone is the resolved hidden IP address.

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