How can I change my phone and Internet provider?

As long as phone service or internet connection are concerned, to change provider always seems to be a stressful experience - especially for business customers. Anguished customers often worry about keeping their phone number, and minimising the no-service time to a minimum, possibly zero, when they change providers.

This has become much simpler now, thanks to new regulations set by Ofcom forcing telecom providers to make the operation as smooth as possible.

However, customers have to make sure they do things right when they change provider, especially with internet broadband or triple play providers:

- Customers should first check if they are still in the original contractual period - usually twelve months after signature;

- If not, they should know they will have to pay early termination fees, representing a fraction of the monthly charge for every outstanding month until normal contract termination;

- Sending a registered letter with acknowledged receipt is the safest way to make sure the demand will be heard;

- This may have to be done for each service in a triple play or quadruple play offer even if they are sold as a package.

Two processes may be used:

- gaining provider led process, which means the new provider does everything;

- cease and re-provide process, meaning the customer will have to coordinate termination of the old service and kick-off of the new one.

Customers willing to change provider for the mobile phone service may want to keep their phone number, and will have to ask for a migration authorisation code to help number portability.