Your phone number can now become your Google Voice number

Google on Tuesday announced that existing Google Voice users can port their phone numbers over to the Google Voice service for a one-time fee of $20. Previously, users could only be assigned new numbers for the service, and not bring their existing number with them like they can between telephone companies.

"One of the most frequent requests we hear from people who use (or want to use) Google Voice is that they'd like to get all of Google Voice's features without having to give up their long-time phone numbers," said Google Software Engineer Robert Dong in the Google Voice blog today.

Now, when users click on "Your Number" in the Google Voice Web interface, there is the option to Change/Port the existing phone number. After the user selects "I want to use my existing mobile number instead," Google walks you through a couple of steps to check and see if it can be done. Once porting has been established, and the transaction has taken place, the number will go live within 24 hours. Users must cancel the account from which they transferred their number or otherwise get a new phone number and service plan.

The old Google Voice number is completely removed from the user's Google account 90 days after he has ported over his other number.

Number porting is only available to existing Google Voice users, but will eventually roll out as a feature presented to all new users of the service.