keeping my number

[Dorchris]

I received my new sim yesterday (25th Oct 2016), I want to keep my existing number and gave the PAC code to 02, which was fine, BUT I received a text from 02 stating the change over will be on the 27th Oct and to keep my phone off until 6pm. The huge problem with this is EE will take up to 10 days to unlock my phone so around the 4th Nov, so I won't be able to use my 02 sim in my phone (galaxy s7) until they unlock it. How will this work? will I still be able to keep my existing EE sim in and use the phone until it's unlocked? If I can't use my 02 sim when they change the number over will it revert back to the number they gave me with the sim or will they still let me have my existing number? I really need to keep my existing number, I hope you understand what I mean.

[gmarkj · Accepted solution]

So there are 2 things going on here:
1 - swapping your number from your old network. This will happen at or around the time o2 says (normally takes 24-48 hours EXCLUDING weekends). Normally the phone will lose service on the old sim and the new sim will take over (may need to be turned off/on a few times to update/register).
At this point the old sim will not work.

2 - unlocking your existing EE phone to use your new o2 sim.
This is not in the hands of o2, so once the number swaps from EE to o2, the EE sim will not work. If your phone doesn't accept another network's sim in it, then the phone won't work either. Not sure what to suggest here other than use a different phone until yours is unlocked...

[jonsie]

In hindsight you should have unlocked the phone first. 

[MI5]

As soon as the transfer starts you ee sim will be dead.
If you need to use a phone before then you'll have to put the o2 sim into another unlocked phone.