The Practical Answer
In Paraguay, mobile-number portability lets a prepaid or postpaid subscriber change mobile operators while keeping the same number, including the prefix. The request is made to the receiving operator, not to the operator being left. The person who requests it should be the registered holder of the line or an authorized representative.
The most important preparation is therefore not technical. It is proving that the person asking for the move is entitled to ask for it and that the line can be identified correctly. A request should not be treated as automatically accepted merely because the number exists, the subscriber uses the phone, or the new operator is willing to receive the customer.
CONATEL's portability FAQ, as current on 6 September 2026, states two practical timing limits: the process has a maximum of five business days, and the service interruption during the programmed overnight switch must not exceed 30 minutes. Keep the receiving operator's scheduled-time notice before the switch, because that notice is the clearest reference point if service does not return as expected.
The current FAQ also describes the filing itself: the request is made in writing to the receiving operator, with a copy of the identity document for an individual subscriber. Under CONATEL's currently published figure, the receiving operator may charge Gs. 21,864 including VAT for each port, although it may waive the charge. Treat that amount as a dated procedural figure and recheck it before filing.
Holder-First Checklist
Before visiting or contacting the receiving operator, organize the request around ownership and authorization.
- Confirm the exact mobile number to be ported, including its prefix.
- Confirm who is registered as the holder of the line.
- If someone else will act, prepare proof that the person is an authorized representative.
- Separate prepaid and postpaid records, but do not assume either service type is excluded merely because of its billing method.
- Ask the receiving operator what documents it needs to verify the holder or representative.
- Keep a record of the request date, the channel used and any notice about the scheduled switch.
This approach reduces the main avoidable risk: a request that fails because the person asking cannot be matched to the registered holder or cannot show authorization.
Decision Tree: Should You File Now?
- Are you the registered holder? If yes, prepare the holder information requested by the receiving operator. If no, continue only if you can act as an authorized representative.
- Is the number a mobile prepaid or postpaid line? Both categories are covered by mobile portability. Continue by checking the line details with the receiving operator.
- Can the receiving operator identify the line and request? If the holder, authorization or line information does not match, fix that before expecting the request to proceed.
- Have you received the scheduled switch information? Keep it. The interruption should occur during the programmed overnight switch and should stay within the 30-minute limit stated by CONATEL's FAQ as current on 6 September 2026.
- Did the number move without your consent? Do not start a new portability request as the first response. Use the unauthorized-port recovery path and keep evidence.
The tree is deliberately conservative. It does not promise acceptance, because acceptance depends on the request matching the registered holder or authorized representative and on the operator's verification of the line.
Timing, Interruption and What to Save
Plan the process around the five-business-day maximum and the programmed overnight switch described in CONATEL's portability FAQ as current on 6 September 2026. During that switch, the service interruption should be no more than 30 minutes. The practical point is to avoid scheduling critical calls, two-factor authentication, delivery coordination or banking access around the announced switch window.
Save the receiving operator's notice of the scheduled time. If the line does not work as expected after the switch, that notice helps separate the programmed interruption from a later service problem. It also gives a concrete reference for any complaint to the operator and, if needed, to CONATEL.
| Moment | What to expect | What to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Before filing | The receiving operator verifies the holder or authorized representative and the line information. | Holder details, authorization if used, request channel and date. |
| During processing | The portability process should stay within the five-business-day maximum stated by CONATEL's FAQ as current on 6 September 2026. | Any message from the receiving operator about progress or scheduling. |
| Programmed switch | The number changes operator during the overnight switch, with interruption of no more than 30 minutes under the same checked FAQ. | The scheduled-time notice and any evidence if service remains unavailable beyond the switch. |
| After completion | The subscriber keeps the same mobile number, including the prefix, with the new operator. | Confirmation that incoming and outgoing service work on the new operator. |
When a request can be rejected
CONATEL lists specific rejection grounds. A port can be rejected if the applicant is not the registered holder, the line is blocked because of theft or a fraud suspension, the line is not registered to any person, the line has already been deactivated, or the number is assigned exclusively to an internet service.
If the receiving operator rejects the request, ask for a reason you can preserve and correct the underlying record before trying again. Daily possession or use of the phone is not proof of legal entitlement to port the number.
After a completed port, at least 30 days must pass before the same number is ported again under the current FAQ. An existing contract with the donor operator does not automatically prevent portability, but portability does not erase outstanding charges or obligations caused by terminating that contract. The donor service does not need to be cancelled in advance; it ends when the port is executed.
Worked Example: Prepaid and Postpaid Requests
Prepaid example. A subscriber uses a prepaid mobile line and wants to move it to another operator. The first question is not whether the line is prepaid; prepaid lines are within the portability system. The useful preparation is to confirm the registered holder, present the request to the receiving operator and keep the scheduling notice for the overnight switch.
Postpaid example. A postpaid subscriber wants to keep the same number, including the prefix, while changing operators. The request still goes to the receiving operator. If a family member or employee tries to handle the request, that person should be ready to show authorization rather than relying on possession of the phone or payment history.
In both examples, the strongest file contains the same core items: number, holder, authorization if relevant, request date, receiving operator, scheduled switch notice and any later service evidence.
If a Number Was Ported Without Consent
If a mobile number appears to have been moved without the subscriber's consent, act quickly. CONATEL describes a reversal route for an unauthorized port within 30 days. The first complaint starts with the operator, and the matter can then be taken to CONATEL if needed.
- Record when the line stopped working or when the unexpected operator change became visible.
- Preserve messages, screenshots, SIM or service notices and account records.
- Contact the operator and state that the portability was not authorized.
- Ask how to file the reversal request and keep proof of the filing.
- Do not wait near the end of the 30-day period before acting.
- If the operator path does not resolve the complaint, prepare the same evidence for CONATEL.
The reversal path is a remedy to request, not a guaranteed outcome stated in advance. The stronger response is immediate, documented and narrow: identify the number, the holder, the date the unauthorized move was discovered and the evidence showing lack of consent.