Bandwidth and Fiber to the Home (FTTH)
Do Not Call List & Harassing Phone Calls
Long Distance
Billing
Capital Credit
Cellular Phone
BVtv
Other
Bandwidth and Fiber to the Home (FTTH)
Q What does bandwidth mean?
A Bandwidth measures the amount of data that can be sent through a connection (usually measured in bits-per-second). In data transmission, the greater the bandwidth, the greater the capacity to transmit data bits.
Q What is Fiber to the Home (FTTH)?
A FTTH is a new technology that uses fiber optic cable instead of copper cable to deliver telephone, data (Internet, etc.) and video services. Fiber optic cables have the capacity for an indefinite amount of data which is becoming a necessity in today’s world. BVTC is hoping to complete the FTTH upgrade for all of their telephone exchanges by 2012. These exchanges include Axtell, Beattie, Centralia, Home, Linn, Oketo, Onaga, Palmer, Summerfield, Vermillion, Westmoreland, and Wheaton.
Q How will FTTH benefit me?
A BVTC will be able to offer much more bandwidth with this type of network. So, not only will FTTH deliver quality services that you subscribe to today, but it will enable BVTC to use the network for broadband applications in the future.
Q Will this change the way my present communication services work?
A The only change in your current services will be on the data (Internet) level. You will no longer need a modem to receive High-Speed Internet and you should receive more efficient data rates. There won’t be a change in how your telephone works, however, there will be a back-up battery supplied by BVTC to keep your phone up and running in case of a power outage. This is different than how the old copper plant works, but you as the customer should not see a difference.
Q What is the big gray box (ONT – Optical Network Terminal) for?
A An ONT contains the electronics that converts a signal of light into usable voice, data and video services. This box will be located on the outside of your home/business. There will be an additional box installed inside your home/business which will power the unit. This power supply will also contain a back-up battery in case of a power outage.
Q Do I have to be at home when the ONT device is installed on the outside of my home/business?
A Yes. You will be contacted by a representative of BVTC to schedule a time to have your ONT device and power supplies installed. This process should only take 1-3 hours depending on the home/business. An average install should be around 1 ½ hours.
Q How will FTTH affect my telephone bill?
A FTTH upgrade will not increase your current rates. However, if you decide to add a service, such as High-Speed Internet or BVtv, activation and subscription fees may apply.
Do Not Call List & Harassing Phone Calls
Q How do I sign up for the Do-Not-Call list that prevents telemarketers & other solicitors from calling me at home?
A In response to consumer concerns about unwelcome telemarketing calls, the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission established the national Do-Not-Call Registry. The registry applies to all telemarketers (with the exception of certain non-profit and political organizations) and covers both interstate and intrastate telemarketing calls. Commercial telemarketers are not allowed to call you if your number is listed on the registry.
Consumers may register their residential telephone number, including wireless numbers, on the national Do-Not-Call Registry at no cost by telephone or on the Internet. To register by telephone, you should call 888-382-1222. For TTY, call 866-290-4236. You must call from the phone number you wish to register. You may also register by Internet at www.donotcall.gov. Inclusion of your telephone number on the national Do-Not-Call Registry will be effective 31 days of registration.
Q How can I stop harassing phone calls?
A Dial *57 immediately after you receive the phone call. This traps the number of the caller. Then, immediately call your local law enforcement office. Service Charges for this service may apply and will vary depending on the phone company.
Long Distance
Q Why can I not get service from certain long distance companies? And why can I not get the long-distance rate plans I see advertised?
A Many national long-distance companies do not offer service or their advertised rate plans in rural areas. Thus, many of our customers find only frustration when they try to select a long-distance company or pick an advertised calling plan. When customers ask for an explanation, the long-distance companies usually point to the "local" company as the reason why certain services or advertised plans are not available. As your local telecom provider, we would like to make it clear that we have no say in a company's decision to offer service in our area. Blue Valley offers competitive long distance which applies to your Capital Credit account. We are proud that we have no hidden fees when it comes to long distance. Call us toll-free at 877-876-1228 for more information on a long distance plan that fits your needs.
Q I do not recognize this number on my phone bill. Who is this person?
A Try our local directory on our web site. You can do a reverse lookup by entering the phone number in the search box. If it is not a local number, try www.anywho.com and click on “reverse lookup”.
Billing Questions
Q This is my first month of service and it looks like I have been double billed. Is this correct?
A If you are a new customer or if you are getting a new service hooked up, your bill will be pro-rated for the remainder of that month you signed up in, plus the fees for the following month’s services. This is due to communication services being billed one month in advance. For example if you sign up for a $20 service on the 15th of the month, your pro-rated portion for that month is $10, plus you will be paying $20 for the following month, which makes your total bill $30.
Q What does the E-911 surcharge cover?
A The E-911 surcharge is a state/local government charge to fund emergency 911 services, such as fire and rescue.
Q What is the Federal Universal Service Charge (FUSC)?
A The FUSC fund assists with the costs of providing “affordable” services to low-income individuals and to residents in rural, high-costs areas. In addition, this fund helps schools, libraries and rural health care providers obtain advanced services, such as Internet access. All providers of telecommunications services contribute to the support of these programs. The amount on your bill depends on the services you order and the number of telephone lines you have.
Q What is the Kansas Universal Service Fund (KUSF)?
A The KUSF charge was mandated by the Kansas Corporation Commission to ensure all customers in rural high-cost areas of the state have access to affordable service. This charge also supports the Lifeline program, Kansas Relay Services, Telecommunications Access Program as well as network enhancements and upgrades in rural areas.
Q What is the federal “subscriber line charge” (SLC) listed on my bill?
A A flat monthly charge, established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), assessed directly to customers to help local telephone companies recover some of their costs in construction and maintaining the local network. Current monthly charges are $6.50 for residential single-line, multi-line and business single-line; and $9.20 for business multi-line and hunt group.
Q What taxes are included on my bill?
A Your bill includes the 3% federal excise tax levied by the federal government that applies to all telecom services, not just local service. In addition, many state, local and/or municipal governments impose taxes on telecom services and, if applicable, these taxes are listed on your bill. In some states, these charges may appear as a "gross receipts" or "franchise" tax.
Q I have found charges on my bill for services I did not order or authorize. How do I get these charges removed from my bill?
A If there is a charge on your bill that is unauthorized or fraudulent, you don't have to pay it. If you find a charge on your bill for something you didn't authorize, call BVTC at 877-876-1228, Monday thru Friday, office hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We will be happy to fix it for you.
Q What is CPNI and why do I have to have a password to obtain my billing information?
A CPNI stands for Customer Proprietary Network Information. The FCC has implemented new rules to protect the privacy of your information contained in your BVTC account. The new rules allow us to discuss account information only with the person(s) listed on the account. Also, we must be able to authenticate authorized individuals by asking for a password or by asking a specific question.
Capital Credit FAQ’s:
Q Who qualifies for Capital Credits?
A A member of the cooperative is someone who lives within one of our 12 Telephone exchanges that subscribes to tariffed telecommunications services through BVTC. These exchanges include Axtell, Beattie, Centralia, Home, Linn, Oketo, Onaga, Palmer, Summerfield, Vermillion, Westmoreland, and Wheaton.
Q Why is the check amount different than the amount on the allocation notice?
A The allocation notice is based on the dollars you spent throughout the year with Blue Valley services. The check amount is based on the percentage voted upon by the Blue Valley Board of Directors in October.
Q When will I receive my check?
A Checks are disbursed every December. In order to receive your check in a timely manner, please keep Blue Valley updated on your current address. Also, please be sure to keep your bill paid or your check cannot be cut.
Q Can I cash out my capital credits?
A The only time capital credits can be fully cashed out is when a spouse dies, or when a business account goes out of business..
Q If capital credits cashed out, what happens next?
A If you chose to cash out the Capital Credits and you are still a current Patron, then the Capital Credit account will start over. If you no longer live in our exchanges, then the account is cashed out and there is no further activity to the customer.
Cellular Questions:
Q Is all wireless phone service the same?
A Wireless phone service is digital, which converts the voice signals to computer "ones and zeros" that are transmitted through electronic pulses and reassembled after delivery. Converting to digitized voice signals allows computer processing, which eliminates much of the static background noise, offers clearer, more secure calls and includes more features than the out-dated analog.
Q How is wireless coverage set up, and how does roaming work? If I am in my service area, why are there dropped calls & dead spots?
A The area where you can make and receive wireless calls is determined by where your carrier has a license and where it has built out its network. You should have a coverage map of the particular geographic area served by your wireless carrier. When you travel beyond your carrier's area, you still may be able to use your wireless service provided by the carrier in the area where you are traveling. This is called roaming. Even if a wireless carrier has not constructed towers and built out its network, roaming allows its customers to connect using another carrier's network. If your wireless carrier has a roaming agreement with another carrier and if your wireless handset allows roaming, you will be able to connect with the other network to use your wireless service.
Even within your carrier's coverage area, limitations in facilities and capacity can cause problems in wireless call completion. If the carrier's network fails to hand off calls in progress as a customer travels from one coverage area to another, a dropped call results. A large number of callers using the network at the same time can strain capacity, so others will get a busy signal when they try to connect. Terrain also affects coverage, causing dead spots - areas where service may not be available because the signal between the handset and the tower is blocked or impeded.
Q How do I “port” my number to a wireless carrier? If I change my phone number to a wireless carrier, how does that affect my traditional local telephone service?
A New federal rules allow customers to "port" their telephone numbers, landline or wireless, to another carrier. In order for customers to "port their number" the new carrier to which you wish to port your number must send us a request to establish an agreement process that will allow us to do that.
As a community based telecom provider with deep ties here in our service area, we want you to know exactly what it means to port your telephone number, and to give you an idea of some of the service differences between landline phones and what you can expect from wireless:
- If you port your traditional phone number to a wireless carrier, you will be disconnecting your landline phone and terminating your traditional local service.
- You will no longer have unlimited local calling; you will have to keep tabs on the number of minutes that are included in your wireless plan.
- You will have to arrange with your wireless carrier for a directory listing and directory assistance services.
- You will no longer be able to access the Internet using a local, unlimited dial-up connection. In some cases, you may be able to connect your wireless phone to your PC to access the Internet, but you are likely to need additional hardware and/or software; also, you must keep in mind that time spent on the Internet will count against the minutes in your wireless plan.
- In an emergency, E-911 service can pinpoint your traditional home phone, but in most cases, not your cell phone.
- In general, a phone number can only be assigned to a single wireless phone. With landline service, you can have additional phones in your house that hook up to the same number.
- If your home is in an area that does not get clear wireless reception, your calls could be unclear or have a tendency to drop. Be aware that the type of wireless reception you get at home now is the quality you can expect for all your calls.
Q How can I see how many minutes I have use so far this month on my cell phone?
A To view the number of minutes used so far you have two options:
i. Call #668 from your cell phone
ii. Text the word “minute” to short code 696-467
Q How can I improve my tower coverage?
A To improve tower coverage simply dial *228 from your phone and follow the voice activated prompt. It will update your phone within minutes.
Q How can I pay my cell phone bill?
A Go to Alltel.com and on the home page you can click on “Register Now” to create your personal account. You can also pay by dialing #729 on your cell phone and following the voice activated prompt.
Q When will Blue Valley be launching their cellular?
A Blue Valley plans to launch their cellular service during the fourth quarter of 2008. However, we will not launch until the service is reliable, has met our customers’ needs and the service area has provided the coverage promised. We will keep you posted on the process as progression takes place.
BVtv:
Q Why will my remote not work?
A If there are no lights lit up on your remote when pushing buttons, you will need to replace your batteries. The remote is in lock mode, so leave the batteries out for about 30 minutes before putting the new ones in.
Q What should I do if my television is fuzzy?
A If your television is fuzzy or has static, you should make sure you television set is on either channel 3 or channel 4 and then turn your set-top box on by pressing the STB button followed by the power button on your remote.
Q When I press the guide button, how do I see only the channels I am subscribed to?
A If you only want to see the channels you are subscribed to, simply press the guide button twice. The first time you press the guide button it will show all of the channels BVtv has to offer. Press one more time and you are able to view only the channels you are subscribed to.
Q Why does my television mess up and have blocks on it sometimes?
A When your television set is messing up and it appears there are tiny blocks all over your screen it is called micro-blocking. If this problem persists, just reboot your set-top box by unplugging it from the power and plugging it back in. If the problem persists, contact our office at 877.876.1228.
Other:
Q What is VoIP service? Will it allow me to make phone calls from my computer? Do I need DSL or other broadband connection to use it?
A VoIP service refers to "Voice over Internet Protocol," which in a means using Internet technology to transmit and deliver voice communications. Rather than using the traditional analog telephone network, VoIP digitizes the voice signal into information packets that are sent over the Internet or computer network. The packets are reassembled at the other end of the connection to produce the voice signal. Until recently, IP network-delivered voice service has been constrained by very poor quality and limited reliability. Recent advancements in IP technology have improved the quality of digitized voice service, and IP networks are becoming more and more capable of carrying voice communications on a par with the traditional network.
From a technical starting point, users must have a broadband connection to take advantage of VoIP and other IP-enabled services. Since VoIP is Internet-based, it has developed independent of the policy and regulatory realm that has governed the national telephone network. There remain serious misgivings about the IP networks current lack of E-911 capabilities and the inability of law enforcement officials to track and "tap" packet-based voice signals. Congress, the FCC, and state lawmakers are currently investigating how to promote the roll-out of VoIP and other IP-enabled services at the same time as they safeguard the universal service, emergency, law enforcement, consumer privacy and other social policy objectives attained and promoted through the national switched telephone network for almost a century.
Q Are there programs available to help make telephone service more affordable for low-income customers? How is eligibility determined and where can I apply?
A Federal and state lawmakers believe that every person in America should have access to quality, affordable telecommunications service. If you participate in social programs, such as food stamps, Medicaid, the national school free-lunch program, supplemental security income, or if your household income is below a certain threshold level, you may qualify for a discount on your telephone bill.
The Universal Service Administrative Co. lists full details and state-specific Lifeline contact information, at www.lifelinesupport.org. If you have questions about Lifeline, Link-Up and TLS discounts call 888-641-8722.