Prepaid number porting: M1 M Card to Singtel Hi Card

[ykgoh]

Anyone ever succeeded before?

My experience today. Went to Singtel Shop, bought a new Hi card and requested to port my current M card number over. Passed the CSO my NRIC and existing M card SIM.

The CSO tried and said the number printed on my M card is not the 15 digits IMSI number required to do the porting. It is printed in 3 rows of 4 digits (total 12 digits).

0112
0805
9190

She told me to check. So I checked the original packaging (yes, I kept it) the SIM card came in with the stickers and plastic cut out. There is a 18 digits number:

[B][COLOR="red"]896503[/COLOR][/B]011208059190 (VI)

There is the 896503 prefix in front of the 12 digits printed on my SIM. Again this is not the 15 digits IMSI number! I believe this is the ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card Identifier) instead.

So I called M1 customer service multiple times. Was told:

1. They only have the ICCID or IMEI number, not IMSI number.
2. They can't tell me over the phone (I'm guessing due to security reason?). I have to visit a M1 customer service centre in person to check.
3. The telco I'm trying to port to would do the necessary to check the required IMSI number from the system. (And Singtel told me to check back with M1 first?)

Each time I call the M1 hotline regarding how to get the IMSI, I get a different answer. A customer helpline that is not able to help at all when I need it.

Anyone ever experienced the same thing? Are the M1 customer service centre at IMM, Paragon or Change Alley really able to give me the 15 digits IMSI number?

I understand for Singtel SIM card, it prints the 15 digits IMSI number on it, not some ICCID number. So other telcos like Starhub and M1 have no problem getting the number straight from the SIM card when porting from Singtel. But M1 tries to be funny by printing other unknown serial number or ICCID instead on the SIM card.

Sorry for asking in public forums regarding this. I'm getting pushed around by M1 and Singtel just over number porting and I don't know who can really help. I have tried calling M1 customer hotline and talked to Singtel CSO before posting here. Getting conflicting info on who should know and how to get the IMSI number from as required by the system.

Update: After doing some internet research, for M1, the 15 digits IMSI number should look like this:

525 03 XXXXX XXXXX

The 525 is the Mobile Country Code (MCC) and 03 is the Mobile Network Code (MNC). This is followed by 10 digits unique to the SIM.

 

[agent007bond]

If you have access to jailbroken iPhone (a friend or colleague might have one), you can try this:

Factory iPhone Unlock and Jailbreak Guides for iOS 7 / 6.1.4 / 6.1.3 / 6.1.2: How to Find IMSI Number on iPhone [Helps with iOS Unlock]

 

[agent007bond]

Or try this:

The simplest method:
1. Connect your phone to your PC's COM port with a data cable.
2. Start any terminal program (e.g. Hyperterm) and select a port the phone is connected to.
3. Type in "AT+CIMI" command (w/o quotes, terminated by Enter).
4. See result.

 

[ykgoh]

If you have access to jailbroken iPhone (a friend or colleague might have one), you can try this:

Factory iPhone Unlock and Jailbreak Guides for iOS 7 / 6.1.4 / 6.1.3 / 6.1.2: How to Find IMSI Number on iPhone [Helps with iOS Unlock]

Or try this:

Much thanks for your advice.

I went to a M1 shop in person and was given the IMSI number after having my NRIC scanned. The M1 CSO copied out the IMSI number from her tablet onto a piece of paper. Apparently, only M1's database stores the confidential IMSI numbers internally.

Went SingTel Shop and the number porting request was accepted on my second try.

Lesson learnt/PSA: M1 (and possibly StarHub) does not engrave/emboss the IMSI number on its SIM cards, unlike SingTel. You've been warned. To confirm if you have the IMSI number, just turn over to the plastic back of your SIM card. If you see 15 digits starting with 525 XX XXXXX XXXXX, then you're in luck. The XX after 525 should be 01/02 = SingTel, 03 = M1 and 05 = StarHub. If you see a number longer than 15 digits starting with 896, that is probably the ICCID number. Not useful at all.

Do not believe that number porting just requires your NRIC and an active SIM. It's not that simple! For M1 and StarHub users trying to port out to SingTel, you need to visit M1 Shop or StarHub Shop to beg for your IMSI number first! And their customer support hotline may not entertain any request for the IMSI number over the phone.

For SingTel porting to M1 or StarHub, no such problem. The required IMSI number is engraved nicely on the SIM itself, and also printed on a sticker on the packaging. Proof:

This above SingTel SIM's IMSI is 52501 61656 12641.

The above SingTel SIM's IMSI number is 52501 61659 92121.

 

[ykgoh]

Another lesson learnt: the FAQ on SingTel may not be accurate/complete.

See: Full Mobile Number Portability | SingTel

Q: I am an existing M1/StarHub postpaid mobile customer, how do I port my mobile number to SingTel Mobile?

A: Simply visit your nearest hello!store or SingTel Exclusive Retailer to apply for Full Mobile Number Portability. Bring the relevant identification documents.

They forget to tell people that they'll need their current IMSI number from M1 or StarHub first. I believe it's the same for both post-paid and pre-paid customers.

Some SingTel exclusive retailers do not sell pre-paid cards, and are not interested at all in selling them. And they don't provide number porting. I asked one SingTel exclusive retailer before and was told they were sold out and then bluntly later we don't sell them.

 

[agent007bond]

Great to hear it worked out for you eventhough the orange people and the red people made you run around quite a bit for simple porting

 

[ykgoh]

Great to hear it worked out for you eventhough the orange people and the red people made you run around quite a bit for simple porting

I am sharing my bad experience so that people thinking of porting their numbers would be aware of the process, its inconvenience and hidden traps. I hope they avoid learning it the hard way that I did.

Telcos in Singapore really force their customers to jump through hoops just to port their numbers, and IDA the regulator is nowhere to be seen when the number porting process is convoluted and troublesome.

 

[Yo2020]

Lesson learnt/PSA: M1 (and possibly StarHub) does not engrave/emboss the IMSI number on its SIM cards, unlike SingTel. You've been warned. To confirm if you have the IMSI number, just turn over to the plastic back of your SIM card. If you see 15 digits starting with 525 XX XXXXX XXXXX, then you're in luck. The XX after 525 should be 01/02 = SingTel, 03 = M1 and 05 = StarHub. If you see a number longer than 15 digits starting with 896, that is probably the ICCID number. Not useful at all.

the number is on the SH prepaid card when i converted mine to ST 3 yrs ago. but ST staff is taking time to read the number as some of the numbers hv been cut off a little bit as i hv cut the card to micro-SIM size.

 

[agent007bond]

i hv cut the card to micro-SIM size.

Ah the good old days. Saving $35 something by cutting your regular SIM with knife and scissors. I did that when I changed my phone.

 

[Habrosus]

Ah the good old days. Saving $35 something by cutting your regular SIM with knife and scissors. I did that when I changed my phone.

Even a SIM card cutter costs only a few dollars.

These service providers should really start helping to save the earth, instead of $$$ making us pay for new cards.

 

[Yo2020]

Ah the good old days. Saving $35 something by cutting your regular SIM with knife and scissors. I did that when I changed my phone.

actually, mine was cut by SH's customer service. ya, SH provided that service for free (at least for Tampines branch)!!

 

[crystalnox]

Can the prepaid number still be ported with just the IMSI number and IC on hand without the physical sim card?

 

[Yo2020]

Can the prepaid number still be ported with just the IMSI number and IC on hand without the physical sim card?

pls try n share with us the outcome.

 

[ykgoh]

Can the prepaid number still be ported with just the IMSI number and IC on hand without the physical sim card?

Just to share. During the process, the old SIM is not inserted into a machine / card reader. The staff just reads the IMSI number off the back, and keys it in. So technically it is not required.

However, it may be required as a matter of policy to show proof of ownership.

Also, the SIM must be active. if you do not have the SIM card, I'm guessing you might have lost or dispose it some time ago (months ago?). Beyond 6 months of disuse or top-up, the SIM and line will be treated as expired by telco and thus inactive. So take note of this.

 

[Timbre70]

Can the prepaid number still be ported with just the IMSI number and IC on hand without the physical sim card?

I believe you can if within the same telco. I upgraded my Virgin 2G prepaid card to 4G nano card without having to show SIM card (even when I volunteered). Only NRIC is required as telco already has all your particulars.

However, porting from one telco to another will require more info furnishing as the new telco won't have your particulars.

That's my guess.

So, if you don't have SIM card details or lost SIM card, just get it replaced at the same telco, used up the value, then with the new details go over to the new telco.

 

[crystalnox]

I believe you can if within the same telco. I upgraded my Virgin 2G prepaid card to 4G nano card without having to show SIM card (even when I volunteered). Only NRIC is required as telco already has all your particulars.

However, porting from one telco to another will require more info furnishing as the new telco won't have your particulars.

That's my guess.

So, if you don't have SIM card details or lost SIM card, just get it replaced at the same telco, used up the value, then with the new details go over to the new telco.

That's good to know, was planning on cutting my ancient sim card down to nano size and was afraid of damaging it with no hope of saving the number.