Answers questions Daria Bondarchuk, expert of the magazine "Company Lawyer"

I stopped liking the quality of service from my mobile operator. I know that not long ago it became possible to change the operator while keeping your number. How long does it take to change operators? And are there any restrictions for switching to another operator?

It takes a minimum of seven days to change operators. This service is called MNP (Mobile Number Portability, that is, mobile number transfer). The provisions on the right of subscribers to change the telecom operator while maintaining the phone number have been in effect since December 1, 2013 (from the date of entry into force of the Federal Law of December 25, 2012 No. 253-FZ “On Amendments to the Federal Law “On Communications””<…>, as well as Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated July 15, 2013 No. 599 “On amendments to the Rules for the provision of mobile communication services”). And from 04/08/14, a specific period has been defined during which your new operator (the so-called recipient operator) is obliged to transfer the number to its network. You can choose the date and time for the start of the provision of services by the new operator. Then he will begin to provide services no earlier than the eighth day, but no later than six months after the conclusion of the contract for the provision of communication services. If you do not specify any period, then the new operator will begin to provide communication services in the interval from 1 hour to 6 hours on the eighth day after the conclusion of the contract (subsection “g” clause 48(3), clause 48(5), Rules for the provision of mobile communication services, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 25, 2005 No. 328, hereinafter referred to as Rule No. 328).

There are indeed some restrictions on changing operators. Firstly, you have the right to use such a service within only one subject of the Russian Federation. That is, you cannot apply for number porting, for example, in Moscow, if you concluded an agreement, for example, in Khabarovsk with a local operator (subparagraph “e”, paragraph 27 of rules No. 328). Secondly, only a federal (cellular) number can be transferred. The service does not yet apply to landline (that is, direct) numbers, even if they are provided by a mobile operator. This follows from the fact that the new provisions are adopted in relation to mobile, and not fixed communications, which include direct numbers. Thirdly, you will be denied if your current operator has suspended the provision of communication services to you due to the loss of a SIM card, non-payment of debt or by a court decision (subparagraph “e”, paragraph 48(17) of rules No. 328). And fourthly, you can change the operator no earlier than 60 days after the last change of operator (clause 48(26) of rules No. 328).

Is it possible to change the operator without contacting the offices, but simply using the personal account options on the website of the operator with whom I am currently servicing? In general, what is the procedure for changing an operator?

No, you won’t be able to change operators remotely without contacting them in person. You must personally contact the office of the operator you want to switch to, or the office of its representatives, whom he has instructed to conclude contracts on his behalf - usually these are cellular communication stores (clause , rules No. 328). You must have a passport or other identification document with you (clause 18, subsection “b” 48(3) of rules No. 328). If the number is registered to another person, then you will need a notarized power of attorney from that person (clause 16 of rules No. 328). In the office, you can write an application for termination of the contract for the provision of communication services with the previous operator (the so-called donor operator) and to transfer the number to a new operator, as well as conclude an agreement for the provision of communication services with the new operator (clause 48(2) of the rules No. 328). The number porting service is paid, but its price should not exceed 100 rubles (clause 4 of Article 44 of the Federal Law of July 7, 2003 No. 126-FZ “On Communications”, hereinafter referred to as Law No. 126-FZ).

You will receive a SIM card from a new operator, who is obliged to inform you about all stages of number transfer via SMS messages, unless a different procedure is provided for in the contract (clause 48(8) of rules No. 328). That is, you will have two SIM cards: your current one and a new one, which will start working only after the number is transferred. Then you definitely need to pay off all debts to the previous operator: if at the end of the day following the day of concluding an agreement with the new operator, you have a debt to the previous operator, it is important to pay it off within 48 hours. Otherwise, the number will not be transferred to you (clause , rules No. 328). By the way, if a debt to the previous operator appears during the process of porting the number, the new operator will notify you about this (he will receive information from the previous operator). The debt must be repaid within 10 days after notification, otherwise the new operator will have the right to suspend the provision of services (clause 45(2) of regulation No. 328). At the time of transfer (the new operator will inform you about this in advance), the old SIM card will stop working and you will need to insert a new SIM card into the phone. After this, interference is acceptable for some time: outgoing communications may not work in the first 30 minutes, and incoming communications may not work for six hours (clause 48(20) of rules No. 328).

If there is unused money left on my account at the time of changing operators, what will happen to this balance? Is the old operator required to automatically transfer it to my new operator or not?

No, there is no automatic transfer of money between operators, but you can request a refund of the balance. Neither Law No. 126-FZ, nor Rules No. 328 provide for the obligation of the previous operator to transfer the unused account balance to the new operator in the event of a number transfer from one telecom operator to another. But if you have unused money left in your account, you can contact your previous operator with a request to return the unused balance of money due to the fact that the contract between you was terminated and in fact you did not use communication services for this amount (clause 45 of rules No. 328, Article 779 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). There is no statutory deadline for refunds. But it can be indicated in internal rules provision of services of a telecom operator or in an agreement for the provision of communication services.

Relatives from another country come to visit me for a long time. They asked me to buy them local SIM cards. But in communication stores they refused to sell me SIM cards without subscribers’ passports (and I don’t want to issue them for myself), and I didn’t find a single tray on the street where previously you could safely buy a SIM card without a passport. What is this connected with?

You want to try tariff plans from other mobile operators, but you still need to keep your old number? In Russia, the service of changing the operator while maintaining telephone number, and it is supported by all leading mobile operators in the country. The abolition of “mobile slavery” appealed to many subscribers, and you can also use this service, which is also available to Beeline subscribers.

Instructions for changing operator without changing number

Before you switch to another operator, keeping your number, you need to make sure that your SIM card has no debts to pay for tariffs and services. If there are any, they must be paid off before replacement. Otherwise, it will not be possible to change the operator while maintaining the same number. You should also remember that you can make the transition only in the region in which your current SIM card is registered.

The procedure for changing an operator without changing a phone number has many common points for Beeline, MTS, Megafon and others, does not take much time and looks like this:

1. Contact one of our offices mobile operator in your home region, which one you want to go to, having previously taken your passport with you. It doesn’t make any sense to come in the role of another subscriber’s proxy - you can change the operator only if you are the owner of the number.
2. Fill out the application about switching to the service of another mobile operator, a form and sample of which will be given to you by an employee of the office or salon. In the application, in addition to personal data, you must indicate the telephone number and name of the operator with whom you are served at the time of transition.
3. Sign the contract to confirm your transition to service from another operator mobile communications. The date specified in the contract will become the date from the moment of which you will officially be considered a subscriber new network(you will be notified of this event via SMS).

After signing the contract, you will be issued a temporary SIM card. In order to start using mobile communications, you will need to wait for the release of a new SIM card and pay the cost of the replacement procedure, which rarely exceeds 100 rubles. Until the replacement procedure is completed, you can use the old and temporary SIM cards.

How to switch to Beeline while keeping your number?

The procedure by which you can change your old network to Beeline, while keeping your number, does not differ much from the general procedure indicated above. You will also need to visit the Beeline office, provide a passport and fill out an application. Next, you will need to select the appropriate tariff and sign an agreement, after which the employee will give you a new Beeline SIM card with your previous number.

The period during which your number will be transferred to Beeline’s service is specified in the list of rules and is indicated in the contract. If it is not specified, the transfer is carried out without third-party intervention after 8 or more days from the date of signing the contract. You can also indicate when submitting your application the desired date for porting your number to Beeline.

How to keep a landline number when changing operator?

The operator change service is not provided for landline numbers - you can only change those numbers that start with +79. It is not possible to change the operator while keeping the number - when you change the operator, a new landline number is issued, and the old one can be resold.

Many people who want to improve the quality of telephone services are thinking about how to change their operator while maintaining their phone number. In this case, all acquaintances and friends will be able to reach the subscriber using their old contacts and will not have to notify them additionally. Depending on which operator is used for communication and which service provider is needed in the future, the methods of change, their cost and timing will vary. Let's look at this information in more detail.

Is it possible to change mobile operator without changing the number?

It is possible to change your cellular service provider to another one, while keeping the previously used set of identifying numbers. Although this procedure takes time, after it each subscriber will have the desired service parameters and their old contacts. Different cellular providers carry out the change process in different ways, but in all cases the first step will be to contact the future service provider company to clarify the details.

A prerequisite for changing the operator is the repayment of all debts to him. To carry out this procedure, you need to contact the old company and look at the status of the subscriber’s accounts. Next, you should go to the new operator, conclude a service agreement with them, after which a temporary SIM card will be issued. In the next step, the old provider will transfer information about the number to the second, and the subscriber will be able to receive a previously used contact that is serviced by the new mobile provider.

Every person who wants to receive good and high-quality services on the mobile network must understand that he can change the service company at any time at minimal cost, without affecting his combination of identification numbers. This was legally confirmed by the management Russian Federation to ensure that the cellular coverage market is transparent and competitive.

Changing mobile operator while maintaining the number in different companies

Companies carry out the number transfer procedure in different ways. Cellular providers carry out this process with great effort, since during such a transition a large amount of information must be transferred, and the old provider loses a client. In such conditions, firms are forced to maintain high quality of services provided in order to minimize the number of users changing mobile providers.

Change operator in Tele2

• The first step is to contact the support service of the existing operator or find a service agreement among your home documents, which indicates the person to whom the number was registered. Only the person for whom the contract was signed can change the supplier. If you change your passport details, you will have to inform the operator.
• Pay off all existing debts to your old cellular provider. Ideally, the account balance will be zero, but positive is also allowed
• Contact any office of the Tele2 operator and sign a new service agreement. Here the client will be issued a new SIM card for temporary use while the data transfer process is carried out.
• A day before the mobile provider old map will be changed, the user will receive a notification. Therefore, during this period it is worth rearranging the SIM to receive the full range of services.

On MTS

• To switch to MTS with the MNP service, you need to go to any office of the company with identification documents (original passport) and information about the old number (which is registered to the same person).
• Decide on the tariff at which you will be served by the new provider, pay for the transfer services.
• Get a temporary SIM so that you can make and receive calls during the transfer period. Such a card will receive messages from MTS about the status of the application and the process of transition to a new supplier.
• The temporary SIM card will receive information indicating the exact time and date when the cards need to be rearranged. After this, all relations with the old mobile communications provider will be severed and the subscriber will begin service with MTS.

In Megafon

• For the convenience of its subscribers, Megafon has created an online form on its website (moscow.megafon.ru/mnp/). After entering the data into it, the cellular provider receives information about the future client, and in addition delivers the necessary SIM cards and contracts free of charge.
• Upon conclusion official documents The client must have a passport or power of attorney to manage other people's data.
• At the moment when Megafon specialists deliver the contracts, they advise on the spot about possible tariffs, select the maximum good options according to the client's requirements. Payment for porting a number from one company to another is also accepted here.

On Beeline

• Beeline provides several options for number porting. In the first case, you need to make an appointment at the office and come there with all the documents to formalize the contract.
• In the second option, all materials will be delivered by Beeline couriers to the client’s home. There, service agreements will be drawn up and the best tariffs will be selected.
• Only a federal number can be transferred, not a city number. However, there may be restrictions in the form of unavailability of calls or SMS.

Cost and transition time

The timing of the transition from one operator to another while maintaining the number may be different, it all depends on the desires and state of information about the client who is being transferred. The waiting period can last from several hours to 6 months, but in most cases this transfer is carried out within 1-2 days. The cost of the transition is standard for all mobile communication providers (Beeline, MTS, Megafon, Tele2), it is 100 rubles per operation.

Other additional fees may be imposed by individual companies for services in special tariff plans, installing new features or enhanced communication capabilities. During a consultation with specialists from Beeline, MTS, Megafon or Tele2, it is worth clarifying all the points of interest and asking what the payment will be charged for. Here you need to clarify the transition time that will be needed, because this data will be the most reliable, since it takes into account the specifics of the client.

The recently implemented procedure for porting a mobile number from one operator to another (MNP) is still at a very crude level. Many, having used it, stumbled upon a number of pitfalls. Therefore, we will try to answer some questions related to the transition from one cellular operator to another while maintaining your usual phone number:

Your tariff and range of services

Services that remain unused at the time of number porting are not transferred with it. That is, if during the transition you have a certain amount of mobile Internet left from a previously purchased package, you will lose it. In principle, this is logical. However, a number of subscribers are confident that when switching to another telecom operator, they will remain the same tariff. No, you can only transfer your phone number, that’s all.

Funds on balance

Money from your balance will not be transferred to another operator! Therefore, if you have funds in your account, especially decent ones, you should withdraw them in advance (before transfer) yourself, for example, transfer them to the balance of another number of the current operator.

Virtual tools and services

Sometimes the money in a phone number's account isn't exactly the money you think it is. Sometimes, they (or part of them) are “virtual” and cannot be returned or withdrawn. If you really try, you can find the relevant clauses in the contract with your operator. Simpler - such funds can only be spent on conversations, sending messages, the Internet and other communication services. These include the starting balance, bonus rubles, the amount of mandatory monthly payment, etc. Moreover, money transferred to another number also turns from real to “virtual”.

City numbers. Or the former “direct Moscow”

In the case of changing the operator while maintaining the number, if your number is a landline number (495, 499), it is not transferred along with the federal duplicate, but, simply put, “falls off”. Only the federal one is transferred. You will lose the direct once and for all. They will no longer call you on your landline number, forwarding to it will not work, and neither will the auto-informer. In principle, for many this is rather a plus - a long-awaited opportunity to get rid of the money-guzzling city while maintaining the federal one. After the transfer, the tariff will be new - federal.

Basically, that's all. You just have to keep in mind that not all payment systems yet accept money to a number ported via MNP. Of course, you can always top up your balance at the cash desk of the new operator’s office. But don’t be afraid of this - the situation is changing literally from day to day and payment systems are learning to adapt to the new technology.

Also, the procedure for changing a mobile operator while maintaining the number takes some time. Sometimes “something goes wrong” and the subscriber may be left without communication for several days or even more.

I repeat: the MNP system is still new and very crude. If desired and necessary, you can and should use it, but be careful!

The other day, a friend contacted me with a question about the MNP service. She wanted to transfer the number from SMARTS to MegaFon. I came to the latter’s office in Madagascar, but they refused to accept the application, sending me for a certificate of no debt to SMARTS. This requirement is, of course, illegal. Let's look again at what the subscriber needs to do and what the cellular operator is responsible for.

On December 1, 2013, the MNP service began operating in Russia. It allows you to change your mobile operator without changing your phone number. This is very convenient if your number is known a large number people and/or various companies. Bank SMS notification services are also linked to the number, social networks, online stores, etc. Therefore, changing your number will entail a lot of inconvenience.
However, today a little more than 950 thousand numbers have been transferred in the country (0.4% of total number active SIM cards).

Basic transfer conditions:
1. Only a federal number can be transferred. It is impossible to port a landline number.
2. Numbers can be transferred only within one region of Russia.
3. You can transfer numbers no more than once every 60 days.

Additional terms:
1. You should not have any debts to the previous operator. To do this, you just need to check your balance or call the helpline (if other numbers are registered in your name). In any case, your future operator will check this information independently. The number is usually transferred after eight days, so it is advisable to leave a small amount in your old account.
2. The personal data that you provide in the application must match the data that appears with the previous operator. If your number is registered to another person, you can transfer the number in his personal presence or with a notarized power of attorney.

Step 1: write an application
All you need to do is come to the office of the future operator and write an application. It is better to contact your own offices and service centers rather than intermediary companies. Apart from a passport, no certificates or documents are needed. Don't forget to take 100 rubles. They will be added to your phone account and written off a few days after the number is transferred.

Step 2: choose a tariff
After completing the application, you need to select the tariff on which you will be served by the new operator. I recommend choosing it in advance rather than taking the one that is offered to you. In this case, you will receive a SIM card with a temporary number.

Transition period
Now we will have two SIM cards: old and new. And both are working. It is not necessary to use a new SIM card before the transition, but if any services are connected there, money will be debited from you. So I lost 6 rubles in 8 days because of the “Stay informed+” option (Beeline), which connects automatically. Be carefull.

Step 3: receive SMS
Before the transition, you will receive several SMS from your future operator. For example, I received five SMS from Beeline:
1. November 28 (1 day). Your application has been accepted and a number has been assigned to it. It will be useful for communicating with support (if necessary).
2. November 28 (1 day). Your details have been successfully verified.
3. November 28 (1 day). There is no debt to the previous operator.
4. December 2 (day 5). The transition will take place on the night of December 5-6. In fact, the transition occurred only two days later for unknown technical reasons. I had to call support three times.
5. December 8 (day 11). Congratulations on a successful transfer and a warning that in three days 100 rubles will be debited from the number.

Step 4: change SIM cards
After the transition, your new SIM card with a temporary number will receive your previous number. The old SIM card should stop working. There may be some interruptions in communication for some time.

How to get money back from your previous operator?
There is no automatic method. The only option is to personally come to the office of your old operator and write an application for a refund. They should be transferred to your bank account.

What to do if you receive a refusal?
It all depends on the reason. If it is not indicated, you need to contact the help desk of your future operator. The main reasons: negative balance, data mismatch, blocked number, etc. If personal data does not match, you will have to find out this information from your current operator. After eliminating the reason for the refusal, you will have to write the application again.

How to find out which operator a particular number belongs to?
Previously, you could find out which operator it belonged to by the first digits of a phone number. Now, for example, when you call an MTS number, you may end up with a call to another operator. Accordingly, you will spend a different amount of money. There are no warnings provided.

Commands for checking number ownership
Beeline: *444*9ххxxxxxxx#
MegaFon: *629*9ххxxxxxxx#
MTS: *916*9ххxxxxxxx#