Statement published 19 December 2017
Consumers need to be able to switch providers easily to exercise choice and take advantage of competition in the communications sector.
We have identified unnecessary difficulties that many consumers experience when they switch or consider switching mobile provider.
This document sets out our decision to address these difficulties by reforming the process for switching mobile provider, removing requirements on consumers to pay for their old service during a notice period once they have switched provider, and ensuring consumers are better informed about switching.
Update 10 May 2023 – ex-post evaluation of Auto Switch reforms
We have today published an ex-post evaluation (PDF, 1.5 MB) of the 'Auto Switch' measures we introduced in 2017. We examined whether customers have benefited from an easier switching process as a result of our measures. This report presents the findings of our evaluation.
It has been brought to our attention that there is a discrepancy between paragraph A10.19 and the new General Condition 7.32.
The text of A10.19 states that:
“A10.19. Paragraph C7.32 deals with the obligations in respect of requests for Switching information by customers on business tariffs. Switching information must be provided free of charge. It must be provided immediately, or within two hours where the request is made by phone, or within two working days where the request is made by SMS or via an account online, via either SMS or the account online (for example by email). Where the request relates to more than one mobile number, the Switching information must be provided via the account online within two working days”.
The new General Condition 7.32 states that:
“GC7.32. Regulated Providers must ensure that they always provide, free of charge, Switching Information to a Mobile Switching Customer who has requested it (whether the request is made by phone, SMS or online) by SMS (unless the request relates to more than one mobile number), or via the account online, within no more than two Working Days from the request.”
To clarify, General Condition 7.32 is the correct statement of the position. We are not mandating that Switching Information requested by customers on business tariffs be provided over the phone (although providers may choose to do so).
In December 2017, we published our decision to reform the process for switching mobile provider.
Our package of reforms included the introduction of a new and simplified way to switch (‘Auto-Switch’) where consumers will be able to request and automatically receive a unique code by text, or through their online account, which they can give to their new provider to switch and port their number (if they wish to do so).
The customer requests from their existing provider the switching code – either a PAC (“Porting Authorisation Code”) if he/she wishes to port their number, or an N-PAC (“Non porting Authorisation Code”) if wishing to switch without a port. Customers can request these by text, through their online account, or by speaking to their existing provider over the phone.
Requests for a PAC/N-PAC relating to a switch involving between 2 and 24 numbers may only be made via online account or by phone.
Industry has now started the process of implementing the reforms. We have received several queries from mobile providers on how the text PAC/N-PAC request route is intended to work in respect of Multi-SIM contracts, i.e. those plans where multiple SIMs are provided as part of one contract, and Multi-SIM accounts, i.e. where there are several SIM contracts under the same single account with the same account holder and which are billed together.
This guidance is intended to clarify our position on this issue.
It is not our intention that requests for PACs/N-PACs for SIMs that are part of Multi-SIM contracts or Multi-SIM accounts can be made by text. This applies regardless of whether the PAC/N-PAC request is for one SIM in the Multi-SIM contract or Multi-SIM account, or for all of them.
General Condition C7.23(a) states that “Regulated Providers must ensure their Mobile Switching Customers[1] can request free of charge, a PAC, or an N-PAC and/or (as applicable) Switching Information via…SMS, but only where the request for a PAC or N-PAC is in respect of no more than one Mobile Number”.[2]
We would not consider requests for PACs/N-PACs for SIMs that are part of Multi-SIM contracts or Multi-SIM accounts to be ‘in respect of no more than one Mobile Number’ as there may well be direct consequences for other mobile numbers in that contract. The consequence of this is that a subscriber who wishes to port or cancel one or more numbers from a Multi-SIM contract or Multi-SIM account should use the online or phone route to request a PAC or N-PAC.
- “Mobile Switching Customer” is defined as “a Subscriber who is engaged in Mobile Switching”.
- Only the main account holder (i.e. the Subscriber) can request a PAC or N-PAC. It is our understanding that switches of any single SIM in a Multi-SIM contract or Multi -SIM account may affect the contract terms of the other SIMs. This clarification is made on the basis of that understanding.
This update is now superseded by the 4 January 2019 update above.
In December 2017, we published our decision to reform the process for switching mobile provider.
Our package of reforms included the introduction of a new and simplified way to switch (‘Auto-Switch’) where consumers will be able to request and automatically receive a unique code by text, or through their online account, which they can give to their new provider to switch and port their number (if they wish to do so).
The customer requests from their existing provider the switching code – either a PAC (“Porting Authorisation Code”) if he/she wishes to port their number, or an N-PAC (“Non porting Authorisation Code”) if wishing to switch without a port. Customers can request these by text, through their online account, or by speaking to their existing provider over the phone.
Requests for a PAC/N-PAC relating to a switch involving between 2 and 24 numbers may only be made via online account or by phone.
Industry has now started the process of implementing the reforms. We have received several queries from mobile providers on how the text PAC/N-PAC request route is intended to work in respect of Multi-SIM contracts, i.e. those plans where multiple SIMs are provided as part of one contract.
This guidance is intended to clarify our position on this issue.
It is not our intention that requests for PACs/N-PACs for SIMs that are part of Multi-SIM contracts can be made by text. This applies regardless of whether the PAC/N-PAC request is for one SIM in the Multi-SIM contract or for all of them.
General Condition C7.23(a) states that “Regulated Providers must ensure their Mobile Switching Customers[1] can request free of charge, a PAC, or an N-PAC and/or (as applicable) Switching Information via…SMS, but only where the request for a PAC or N-PAC is in respect of no more than one Mobile Number”.[2]
We would not consider requests for PACs/N-PACs for SIMs that are part of Multi-SIM contracts to be ‘in respect of no more than one Mobile Number’ as there may well be direct consequences for other mobile numbers in that contract. The consequence of this is that a subscriber who wishes to port or cancel one or more numbers from a multi-SIM contract should use the online or phone route to request a PAC or N-PAC.
- “Mobile Switching Customer” is defined as “a Subscriber who is engaged in Mobile Switching”.
- Only the main account holder (ie the Subscriber) can request a PAC or N-PAC. It is our understanding that switches of any single SIM in a Multi-SIM contract may affect the contract terms of the other SIMs.
The consultation document has been republished to correct a typing error in paragraph 3.71.
In March 2016 and July 2016 Ofcom published consultations outlining proposals to reform the process for switching mobile provider.
We received comments from several stakeholders on our assessment of costs and over the autumn of 2016 we discussed our estimates of costs with the mobile industry. In January 2017 we published a revised cost update.
The following documents are part of the further quantitative research that we have conducted to understand the consumer experience and attitudes in relation to contact with their previous provider and attitudes to Ofcom’s proposed reform options.
During the consultation, further exploration and analysis of the data was conducted and fed into the statement. The slide pack and technical report have been updated to include this analysis and details of the approach taken. Slide references remain unchanged as the additional analysis has been incorporated within existing slides/within new Annex 2 to the slide pack.
Omnibus data tables (PDF, 382.3 KB)
Online survey data tables (PDF, 3.6 MB)
Respondent level data (XLSX, 1.0 MB)
Attitudes towards current and potential alternative processes (PDF, 4.6 MB)
These workbooks set out the calculations that underpin our estimates of the quantified impacts that the proposed reform options would have on consumers and industry.
