Newbie: porting Unlocking Networks

Is porting the same as unlocking?

If not, please can you explain.

Also, when people talk of providers and networks, I don't understand
the difference.
Please can you explain.

Thanks

---

› See More: Newbie: porting Unlocking Networks

In message
c855f66b-4d3e-4da0-814d-a194ebe24978...oglegroups.com,
species8350 <[email protected]> Proclaimed from the tallest
tower:

> Is porting the same as unlocking?
>
> If not, please can you explain.
>
> Also, when people talk of providers and networks, I don't understand
> the difference.
> Please can you explain.
>
> Thanks

No, they are not the same...

Porting is the act of transferring your phone account from one service
provider to another (eg from O2 to Orange).

Now most phone companies 'LOCK' their phones to their network, so that you
can only use the phone with that network. If you have a (say) Orange phone,
and you want to use it with (say) the O2 network then chances are you will
have to get it unlocked.

Networks are the companies that provide the infrastructure to connect phone,
they are the big names, O2, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and Three
(Service) Providers are the companies that you use to connect your phone to
a network so that you can use it, they include the network companies, and
also other companies that 'piggy-back' on one of the networks, so companies
like Virgin Mobile, Tesco Mobile etc. etc.

HTH!




--
Regards,
Chris.
(Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)

"ChrisM" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In message
> c855f66b-4d3e-4da0-814d-a194ebe24978...oglegroups.com,
> species8350 <[email protected]> Proclaimed from the tallest
> tower:
>
>> Is porting the same as unlocking?
>>
>> If not, please can you explain.
>>
>> Also, when people talk of providers and networks, I don't understand
>> the difference.
>> Please can you explain.
>>
>> Thanks
>
> No, they are not the same...
>
> Porting is the act of transferring your phone account from one service
> provider to another (eg from O2 to Orange).

You can not port your account to a different service provider. Porting is
the transfer of your phone number only.

In message [email protected],
Jack Torrence <room217[at]overlook.freeserve.co.uk> Proclaimed from the
tallest tower:

> "ChrisM" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> In message
>> c855f66b-4d3e-4da0-814d-a194ebe24978...oglegroups.com,
>> species8350 <[email protected]> Proclaimed from the
>> tallest tower:
>>
>>> Is porting the same as unlocking?
>>>
>>> If not, please can you explain.
>>>
>>> Also, when people talk of providers and networks, I don't understand
>>> the difference.
>>> Please can you explain.
>>>
>>> Thanks
>>
>> No, they are not the same...
>>
>> Porting is the act of transferring your phone account from one
>> service provider to another (eg from O2 to Orange).
>
> You can not port your account to a different service provider.
> Porting is the transfer of your phone number only.

Yes, apologies, I meant to say NUMBER, not ACCOUNT.

Sorry for any confusion!


--
Regards,
Chris.
(Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)

In article <c855f66b-4d3e-4da0-814d-a194ebe24978
@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com>, [email protected] says...
> Is porting the same as unlocking?

No.

> If not, please can you explain.

Porting is moving a mobile number from one network to another. Unlocking
is unlocking a phone so it will accept SIMs from any network.

> Also, when people talk of providers and networks, I don't understand
> the difference.
> Please can you explain.

There is none anymore.
--
Regards
Jon

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> Networks are the companies that provide the infrastructure to connect phone,
> they are the big names, O2, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and Three
> (Service) Providers are the companies that you use to connect your phone to
> a network so that you can use it, they include the network companies, and
> also other companies that 'piggy-back' on one of the networks, so companies
> like Virgin Mobile, Tesco Mobile etc. etc.

Virgin Mobile and Tesco are not service providers, they are correctyl
termed "virtual networks".

Service provider is something entirely different, and scarcely relevant
in today market.

Are there even any service providers left for O2 and voda?
--
Regards
Jon

Jon formulated on Monday :

> Are there even any service providers left for O2 and voda?

Yep.

Jon submitted this idea :

>
>> Also, when people talk of providers and networks, I don't understand
>> the difference.
>> Please can you explain.
>
> There is none anymore.

Though Vodafone have a number of seprate "providers" - some are
Vodafone brands, others are third parties.

In message [email protected],
Jon <[email protected]> Proclaimed from the tallest tower:

> In article <[email protected]>,
> [email protected] says...
>> Networks are the companies that provide the infrastructure to
>> connect phone, they are the big names, O2, Vodafone, Orange,
>> T-Mobile and Three (Service) Providers are the companies that you
>> use to connect your phone to a network so that you can use it, they
>> include the network companies, and also other companies that
>> 'piggy-back' on one of the networks, so companies like Virgin
>> Mobile, Tesco Mobile etc. etc.
>
> Virgin Mobile and Tesco are not service providers, they are correctyl
> termed "virtual networks".
>

Thanks for the correction. So what is (or was) a service provider then?

--
Regards,
Chris.
(Remove Elvis's shoes to email me)

"ChrisM" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In message [email protected],
> Jon <[email protected]> Proclaimed from the tallest tower:
>
>> In article <[email protected]>,
>> [email protected] says...
>>> Networks are the companies that provide the infrastructure to
>>> connect phone, they are the big names, O2, Vodafone, Orange,
>>> T-Mobile and Three (Service) Providers are the companies that you
>>> use to connect your phone to a network so that you can use it, they
>>> include the network companies, and also other companies that
>>> 'piggy-back' on one of the networks, so companies like Virgin
>>> Mobile, Tesco Mobile etc. etc.
>>
>> Virgin Mobile and Tesco are not service providers, they are correctyl
>> termed "virtual networks".
>>
>
> Thanks for the correction. So what is (or was) a service provider then?

I'm sure someone will correct me but I believe that in the beggining there
was a clear distinction between the networks and service providers. The
networks didn't sell direct to the public as they do now (i think orange
were the first to do this) so you had to buy your airtime from a 3rd party
service provider who bought chunks or airtime from the networks and sold it
on to joe public.

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
> In message [email protected],
> Jon <[email protected]> Proclaimed from the tallest tower:
>
> > In article <[email protected]>,
> > [email protected] says...
> >> Networks are the companies that provide the infrastructure to
> >> connect phone, they are the big names, O2, Vodafone, Orange,
> >> T-Mobile and Three (Service) Providers are the companies that you
> >> use to connect your phone to a network so that you can use it, they
> >> include the network companies, and also other companies that
> >> 'piggy-back' on one of the networks, so companies like Virgin
> >> Mobile, Tesco Mobile etc. etc.
> >
> > Virgin Mobile and Tesco are not service providers, they are correctyl
> > termed "virtual networks".
> >
>
> Thanks for the correction. So what is (or was) a service provider then?

Main ones for the Vodafone network were Vodafone Connect and Singlepoint
4U.

The service provider purchased airtime in bulk, package it up as tariffs
and sell it to the consumer. The Service Provider would send you your
bill and be responsible for account queries etc, while the network
operator is responsible for, well, operating the network. The network
operator would not help you with a problem with your bill for example.
--
Regards
Jon

In article <[email protected]>, "Jack Torrence" <room217
[at]overlook.freeserve.co.uk> says...
> I'm sure someone will correct me but I believe that in the beggining there
> was a clear distinction between the networks and service providers. The
> networks didn't sell direct to the public as they do now (i think orange
> were the first to do this) so you had to buy your airtime from a 3rd party
> service provider who bought chunks or airtime from the networks and sold it
> on to joe public.

Orange and one2one as it was then called were not compelled to use
service providers and never did. Bt Cellnet as it was back then and
Vodofone were compelled to by the terms of their operator licences. It
was to generate competition and protect the consumer. As the market
matured and mobile phone ownership rocketed the rules for Vodafone and
BT Cellnet were relaxed and now the vast majority of connections are
doing without involving a service provider.
--
Regards
Jon

"species8350" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:c855f66b-4d3e-4da0-814d-a194ebe24978@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...
> Is porting the same as unlocking?
> If not, please can you explain.
> Also, when people talk of providers and networks, I don't understand
> the difference.
> Please can you explain.
> Thanks
>
Everything you need is at:

http://www.mobileshop.org.uk/howitworks/summary.htm

Steve Terry