Can I keep my mobile number when I switch networks?
Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
Yes. Under the Mobile Number Portability Act (RA 11202, 2019), you have the right to keep your existing mobile number when you move from one network to another — Globe, Smart, DITO — and even when you change your subscription type from postpaid to prepaid or the reverse. The law makes number portability free of charge, with no penalties for switching, and it has been in live operation since 30 September 2021. You start the process with the network you are moving to (the recipient provider), and the NTC's implementing rules require porting to be completed within a short window (commonly cited as within 48 hours). You also cannot be charged interconnection fees for domestic calls and texts. The main condition is that you have no unsettled financial obligation to your current provider — if you do, there is a defined settle-then-port process rather than a permanent refusal. If a provider unjustly refuses to port your number, you can complain to the NTC, which can impose a fine for unjust refusal.
Primary sources
Frequently asked
Does keeping my number cost anything?
No. RA 11202 makes mobile number portability free of charge, with no penalties for switching networks or for changing between postpaid and prepaid. You also cannot be charged interconnection fees for domestic calls and texts to on-net or off-net numbers.
How long does porting take?
You apply with the network you are joining (the recipient provider), and the NTC's implementing rules set a short completion window — commonly cited as within 48 hours of a valid application, provided you have no outstanding obligation and the request is not otherwise rejected. Confirm the current timeframe with the recipient provider.
What if they refuse to let me keep my number?
Number portability is a legal right under RA 11202. If a provider unjustly refuses to port your number, you can file a complaint with the NTC, which regulates telecoms under Executive Order No. 546 and can impose a fine for an unjust refusal to port.
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