Just after a little advice. I'm looking to get an iPhone 4 on O2 just before or after Christmas, and port my existing T-Mobile number over to them. My T-Mobile contract doesn't expire until January, so I realise that I'll be paying for two services for a few weeks. My question is as follows:

I know that a PAC code is valid for 30 days, but what about the other way round? How long does it take for the O2 number (that my iPhone will have been allocated) to become permanent? Could I, in theory, use the iPhone with its O2 number for two months before porting over my T-Mobile number, or do I have to do it within a certain period of time, say within the first 7 days of the new contract?

Thing is, I'm happy to be stuck with an iPhone 4 on a 2 year contract, but I don't want to be stuck with a random mobile number that I can't change.

Thanks!

You should be find to port it in at any time with O2. I've done this in the past with personal contracts.

I had a royal headache trying to port into a O2 Business contract though, they say you have to port in within 14 days. Their phone team said one thing, their email team another - I got it ported eventually.

Thanks for that Sean

o2 told me when they would be porting and roughly how long it would take!

I think the rang me and sent texts!

I was transfering from orange.

Speak with O2 first to make sure. Different networks have different rules and sometimes change them too. Better to be safe than sorry if it's a number you are keen on.

Once you get your PAC, which will be when you give notice to terminate your TMobile account, and give it to Orange they'll normally transfer the number in 48 hours.

I know that TMobile let you bring a number to them at any time during your contract but with some networks it used to be the case that you had to port at the start of the contract.

just had my orange number moved over to 3 and they said it was fine as I had already started the contract for over a week.

requested the change on friday and it was done today.