Mobile phone users should be able to take their number to a rival network within two hours under proposals announced by the telecoms watchdog yesterday – but they will have to wait for two years for the change to come into effect. Meanwhile, Ofcom is asking operators to cut transfer times from five working days to two from next April.

It says users are being deterred from changing operators by a slow and complicated transfer process, with half of those who switched saying the process could be improved. But the regulator conceded that introducing a new regime would be so complicated that it would take two years to complete. British mobile phone users were among the first eight years ago to be able to switch to a rival network while keeping their old number, but Britain now lags behind many countries with its long-winded switching process.

The incentive for consumers to change mobile phone operators is greater than ever as new entrants and fierce competition have led to falling call prices. Some operators offer hundreds of minutes for next to nothing.

The telecoms watchdog said the quicker system, which will cost the mobile phone industry £5 million to implement, would encourage competition. However, some mobile operators condemned the plans. O2 , Britain’s biggest mobile group, said said there could be a spate of “slamming”, where consumers are duped into signing up to a new operator.

Quick change

— Customer informs existing phone provider, who provides a PAC (porting authorisation code) number

— The customer gives the code to new provider, which then requests the switchover

— Once the process is complete, the old provider remains responsible – indefinitely – for forwarding incoming calls to the customer

— Some customers may have to pay two bills while the transfer takes place

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