Who owns your business mobile number? And can you take it with you?

These days, mobile connectivity is essential to doing business.

As an employee, you'll have made industry connections inside and outside your workplace. Some of those connections will be invaluable if you want to start a business.

But, you may risk setting the relationships back if you’ve built trust and rapport through your work phone number. In that case, you’ll need to spend time and effort reintroducing yourself from a number your network won’t recognise. Sometimes, you may even lose access to your contacts entirely.

Put simply, if you’ve already got a work phone number, you’ll be much better off starting your business with it.

And the good news is: When you leave your job, you can take your work phone number with you!

Who owns your business phone number?

The Australian Government owns your business phone number, not your employer or service provider.

And while the government ultimately owns your phone number, you have first rights to its use - even if your employer issued you the number.

Are you allowed to keep your business phone number?

Yes, you are!

You have a right to your telephone numbers - above that of a phone service provider or employer.

An organisation cannot legally stop you from keeping your business number when you depart, even if they gave you the number. The same law guarantees you the right to transfer your number from one service provider to another.

Obviously, your employer isn't obliged to keep paying for your business phone number once you no longer work for them, so you'll need to put the number on a new plan.

Aussie Broadband has a range of SIM-only business mobile plans starting from just $15/month, and if your employer uses another carrier - don't worry - We'll move your number over for you and ensure you don't experience any downtime during the transition.

If you'd like to learn more about our business mobile plans, we're here to help. Visit our help centre or contact our friendly Australian-based team on 1300 480 905.

While a mobile number is a valuable asset if you're starting a business, it shouldn't be your only point of contact. Whether you're opening a solo business or planning to grow, a business phone system will maximise your communication capabilities.

Aussie Broadband's voice plan builder lets you build a personalised business phone system, clarifying your options and how much it will cost to build and maintain a business phone system.The plan builder lets you select from Aussie Broadband's phone systems, voice hardware, accessories, and support packages. The result is an accurate quote for a business phone system that meets your requirements.

Our business mobile plans and business phone systems give your business complete control through our self-service apps: The Myphone portal and MyAussie® app. From there, you can order more phone plans, numbers and additional services with the touch of a button. Our self-service apps let you grow your phone capacity quickly, so your business stays agile.

Can a former employee keep the business number my business issued them?

If you're a business owner set to lose an employee, it's normal to feel anxious about what's next.

If your employee wants to keep the business number you gave them, they have the right to do so. That possibility might lead you to second-guess whether it's worth giving your employees work phone numbers in the first place.

Your employees' connections leaving your business with them is just as inevitable whether they're using a personal or business number. However, the benefits of giving your employees a business phone number far outweigh the cost of them leaving with it. Ultimately, you'd be in the same boat if they used their personal number. So why not cash in on the upside when you can?

Are you looking to set up a mobile plan for your business? Aussie Broadband has a range of sim-only business mobile plans offering different levels of data starting from $25/month. Choose a super-fast 5G* or select an ever-reliable 4G plan that services 98.5% of Australia. If you put your team's mobile plans on the same profile, you can pool the total data and share it across your team** - no hotspots required.

If you need assistance, contact our friendly Australian-based business support team on 1300 480 905.

The contents of this article does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. If this article pertains to any matters you or your organisation may have, it is essential that you seek legal and relevant professional advice.

*5G Rolling out in selected areas. Excludes TAS & NT. T&Cs apply. *Data sharing for all 4G plans on the same profile only.

 **Data sharing for mobile plans on the same profile and network (4G and 5G) only. You cannot share 4G data with 5G plans, and vice versa, even if they are on the same profile.