For anyone reading.
DO NOT cancel your prior service until that number is ported over to a new provider, you will lose it.
P.S. if not already mentioned, when I did mine it was only a $25 (or maybe it was free?) port cost because I bought the ooma enhanced service bundle. $120/year.
There used to be a way to port it to google for free first using a cell phone, but I honestly don't recall all the gyrations required.