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

In message 
c855f66b-4d3e-4da0-814d-a194ebe24978@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com,
species8350  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"  wrote in message 
news:2cWdnYju9_AZq9DVnZ2dnUVZ8qTinZ2d@bt.com...
> In message 
> c855f66b-4d3e-4da0-814d-a194ebe24978@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com,
> species8350  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 484d525d$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net,
Jack Torrence <room217[at]overlook.freeserve.co.uk> Proclaimed from the 
tallest tower:

> "ChrisM"  wrote in message
> news:2cWdnYju9_AZq9DVnZ2dnUVZ8qTinZ2d@bt.com...
>> In message
>> c855f66b-4d3e-4da0-814d-a194ebe24978@m73g2000hsh.googlegroups.com,
>> species8350  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>, not_here.5.species8350@xoxy.net 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 , 
chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com 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 MPG.22b793f5ba78e9769896c1@news.cnntp.org,
Jon  Proclaimed from the tallest tower:

> In article ,
> chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com 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)

On Mon, 9 Jun 2008 20:25:18 +0100, Jon 
wrote:

>In article , 
>chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com 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?

Yes, a few e.g.
 http://www.arrowcommunications.co.uk/

"ChrisM"  wrote in message 
news:qvydnWH1hfCoq9PVnZ2dnUVZ8hydnZ2d@bt.com...
> In message MPG.22b793f5ba78e9769896c1@news.cnntp.org,
> Jon  Proclaimed from the tallest tower:
>
>> In article ,
>> chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com 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 , 
chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com says...
> In message MPG.22b793f5ba78e9769896c1@news.cnntp.org,
> Jon  Proclaimed from the tallest tower:
> 
> > In article ,
> > chris_mayersblue@suedeyahoo.com 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 , "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"  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