Yes, in most homes, all the telephones can be serviced by WOW! Phone. Because WOW! Phone requires touch-tone technology, rotary telephones will not work with WOW! Phone, but all other telephones (cordless or wired) will work without a problem.

Yes, Voicemail is included in the WOW! Phone Advanced package and may be purchased a la carte with the Essential and Standard packages. The Voicemail feature includes one voice mailbox.

WOW! offers phone service in all of our markets. To order WOW! Phone, visit our online store by clicking here.

If your cable television service from WOW! is working and your phone service is not, please check the following:

• Telephone 1 LED (Telephone 2 LED if there is also a line connected to the Telephone 2 connection on the back of the advanced modem) is ON. (See figure 1)
• Make sure all phones are hung up properly.
• If you are using a cordless phone, check the power or battery status of your phone(s).
• Check the telephone cables to ensure they are connected tightly and the cables are not cracked or broken.

If your phone service is still not working, please try the following steps:

Try plugging a standard phone directly into the Telephone 1 (Telephone 2 if applicable) connection on the back of the advanced modem and check for a dial tone. If there is a dial tone, then there may be an issue with the wiring to the phone jack. It is recommended that you leave the phone connected directly to the advanced modem to place or receive calls until the issue can be corrected.

If you still do not have phone service, it may be that there is an issue with your advanced modem. It may be necessary to reset the advanced modem.

To reset the advanced modem, press the recessed reset button with a pen tip or other pointed non-metallic object on the back of the advanced modem.  Once the online light is solid, connectivity to the network has been restored.  If you have reset the advanced modem and still do not have a dial tone, please check the status of the lights (LEDs) on the modem.  For mnormal operation of the advanced modem the Power, DS, US and Online lights should all be on solid.  he Telephone 1 LED on the front of the advanced modem should be on solid if the phone is on the hook.  If the LED is flashing, check all your phones to see if one is off the hook.

Yes. WOW! is concerned about your safety. We want you to feel secure that emergency assistance is only three digits away, similar to your standard telephone. That's why 911 Emergency Dialing is included with every WOW! Phone plan.

There are some important differences when calling 911 services with WOW! Phone that you should be aware of.

Service Outages Can Prevent 911 Emergency Dialing

Just as your regular cordless phone will not work today without power, your advanced modem does not operate without power. Please note that the WOW! Phone advanced modem also includes back-up power so if there is a power outage, WOW! Phone will still operate for up to 4 hours when fully charged (this will depend on your phones as well – cordless phones or phones that are plugged into an electrical outlet do not work without power) giving you the ability to access 911 services or make other calls. You will not be able to make 911 calls from your WOW! phone if there is a service outage on the cable line connected to your advanced modem.

Your WOW! Phone monthly service charge will appear on your WOW! bill. Additional charges for any calls made to international locations, Directory Assistance and Operator Services will appear as line items on the same bill. Call details for local and long distance calls are available online through the billing section of Account Manager at http://portal.wowway.net  

No. One of the greatest benefits of WOW! Phone is the convenience of receiving one bill for your local and long distance service, along with any other services you subscribe to from WOW!.

No, there is no charge from WOW! for switching from your current phone provider to WOW! Phone. We recommend you contact your current phone provider to better understand any termination fees they may apply.

Yes. For rated calls to an international location, Directory Assistance or Operator Services, you will see the call detail on your monthly statement from WOW! Standard Phone customers will also see rated calls for minutes used over the allotted 100 minutes of outbound local and domestic long distance calls per usage period. If you would like to review your outbound domestic long distance call detail records, you can access this information online through the billing section of Account Manager at http://portal.wowway.net 

All WOW! Phone customers are charged state and federal taxes and a fee for the Universal Service Fund (USF).  These taxes are similar to what you paid to your previous phone provider(s). If you make calls to international locations or use Operator Services or Directory Assistance, your taxes will increase based on usage.

The Universal Service Fund (USF) helps to make phone service affordable and available to all Americans, including consumers with low incomes, those living in areas where the costs of providing telephone service is high, schools and libraries and rural health care providers. Because telephones provide a vital link to emergency services, to government services and to surrounding communities, it has been our nation's policy to promote telephone service to all households since this service began in the 1930s. Congress has mandated that all telephone companies providing interstate service must contribute to the USF.  The USF contribution is charged to WOW! Phone customers as a percentage of the domestic long distance and international revenue.   Although not required to do so by the government, WOW! passes through and itemizes its USF contribution costs in the form of a line item on your bill called the ‘Universal Service Fund'.  This is shown in the itemized taxes and fees section of your monthly bill.

The Universal Fund Fee was created by the FCC to help provide affordable telecommunications services for low-income families, to remote areas and advanced services, such as Internet access, to eligible organizations. All long distance carriers pay into this fund.

The Carrier Line Fee helps recover a portion of fees paid to local telephone companies for access.

You may have switched service during the middle of your billing cycle with your former phone company. Based on this, the carrier will send you a bill for the last days that you had service in order to close your account. If you believe you are being billed in error by your former phone company, WOW! recommends that you contact them directly.

A third party call is any call, like a collect call, for which the charges are billed to a third number other than the calling number or called number.

When you answer the phone, an operator or automated service will announce that a third party call is being made and the name of the caller and ask if you will accept the charges. If you accept, the caller will be connected to the other number. The operator will then disconnect. You will not be on the call nor speak to the caller. Normally if the operator is unable to reach someone at the number to be billed to accept charges, the call will not be placed.

Click here to review International rates.

WOW! Phone is a multi-feature, residential phone service. Using WOW! Phone is as simple and easy as your existing phone service from your traditional phone company.  WOW! Advanced Phone includes unlimited calls within the United States and Canada for one low monthly rate. Other phone plans are also available. Please visit http://www1.wowway.com/PhoneMain/ for more information.

WOW! offers phone service in all of our markets. To order WOW! Phone, visit our online store by clicking here.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the technology used to transmit voice and calls over a data network.  Essentially, it allows you to make calls securely using your Internet connection instead of a phone line.

WOW! Phone service uses our broadband network to provide you with a number of great features- including calling features like Call Waiting, Caller ID and Call Forwarding; and excellent call clarity.  Plus, you can keep your current number and receive one monthly bill for all your WOW! services.

Most Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers such as Vonage use the public Internet to transmit your calls. WOW! Phone uses our secure broadband network to transmit calls. WOW! Phone also uses this technology to offer you many calling features, like Caller ID to your TV.

With WOW! you get the call clarity you expect, along with these great benefits not always offered by other VoIP service providers:

• One simple bill - Enjoy one bill for WOW! Internet, Cable and Phone services.
• E911 -WOW! Phone offers access to E911 calling, which gives emergency personnel your address even if you are unable to speak. To learn more about E911, visit the E911 section of the FAQs.
• Popular calling features - Enjoy calling features like Call Waiting, Caller ID and 3-Way Calling at no additional charge with WOW! Advanced and Essential Phone services!
• Unlimited local and long-distance calling - With WOW! Advanced Phone service you can call anyone, anytime, anywhere in the country!
• Low international rates - WOW! offers low rates to the international locations you call the most.
• Battery backup - The eMTA modem that WOW! supplies with your phone service contains a battery backup that is designed to provide you with up to four hours of additional standby power. If the power outage last longer than the battery backup, you will be unable to place calls, including calls to 911. Phone usage while on the battery backup will impact the total backup time of the battery. If WOW! Phone service is interrupted as a result of downed cable lines connecting to your home or cuts to other portions of our network (as can happen in cases of severe storms), the service will not function until those facilities are restored. Depending on the specific facilities impacted, traditional phone providers may be affected in similar ways.

After switching to WOW! Phone, you shouldn't experience any change in call quality.

Yes. WOW! Phone allows you to place local, long distance and, international calls; access operator services, directory assistance, as well as emergency 911 services; and provides typical calling features and directory listings you would expect from your current residential telephone provider.

Yes. WOW! Phone is available for your business too. Please call us at 1-888-969-4249 for more information.

Some cell phone numbers can be transferred to WOW! for use with your home phone service.  To check if yours can be transferred, contact us at 1-866-496-9669.

WOW!'s Standard Phone service is compatible with home detention requirements since it does not include calling features that are prohibited with home detention devices.  For more information about Standard Phone, click here.

Yes, in most homes, all the telephones can be serviced by WOW! Phone. Because WOW! Phone requires touch-tone technology, rotary telephones will not work with WOW! Phone, but all other telephones (cordless or wired) will work without a problem.

Yes, in most cases you will be able to keep your existing phone number and receive phone service from WOW! This means that you can get WOW! Phone and you will continue to receive calls from your family and friends without having to notify them of a new telephone number. Prior to transferring your number to WOW! Phone, we will need to verify the availability of the number from your current phone provider.  If you are moving, it may be more difficult to take your phone number with you but with you but we can tell you if you will be able to keep your phone number.

Yes. An additional line may be added to your WOW! Advanced or Essential Phone service. Standard Phone does not include additional lines and is not available as an additional line. 

Yes. While WOW! Internet and WOW! Phone are connected to the same advanced modem, they operate independently from each other. There will be no deterioration of either service while using both services at the same time.

If WOW! Phone is installed as your primary phone connection, your primary local phone company line will be disconnected, preventing the use of DSL or phone services from that local phone company. If you are a DSL subscriber wishing to use WOW! Phone on all of the phone outlets in your home, as well as keep your high-speed Internet access, you will need to get high-speed Internet connection from WOW! instead of your current DSL provider.

WOW! offers a choice of high speed Internet services to meet your individual Internet needs. For more information on our bundles, contact us at 1-866-4WOW-NOW (1-866-496-9669).

As reflected in WOW!'s Privacy Policy for phone customers (which can be found in its entirety here) WOW! adheres to all applicable laws governing privacy in general and nondisclosure of personally identifiable information in particular (including but not limited to 47 U.S.C. Sec. 551). While WOW! does not know whether other telecommunications providers have participated in the NSA's tracking, WOW! has not participated.

No.  If you are moving and would like to establish service at your new address, please call us at 1-866-496-9669.  If the EMTA/phone number is moved to another location without WOW!'s knowledge, the 911 database cannot be updated accordingly. This could cause your call to be routed incorrectly. The 911 dispatcher that receives the call will see the old address and may send emergency services there. By setting up an account transfer first, WOW! will update the 911 database accordingly with your new address information.

Yes. WOW! provides complete support for all of our services and WOW! Phone is no different; our friendly and professional customer service representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and may be reached by calling 1-866-4WOW-NOW (1-866-496-9669). 

WOW! Phone offers the most popular calling features at no extra charge for Advanced and Essential packages: 

• Call Waiting
• Call Forwarding (*72)
• Anonymous Call Rejection
• Call Return (*69)
• 3-Way Calling
• Caller ID
• Caller ID for Call Waiting
• Repeat Dial
• Selective Call Rejection
• Selective Call Forward
• Caller ID to TV (if customer has WOW! Advanced Phone and Digital Basic customer. Available a la carte if customer has WOW! Advanced or Essential Phone and Digital Value Cable)

Also included in all WOW! Phone packages: 

• Unlimited nationwide local, local toll calls and long distance with Advanced Phone. WOW! Essential Phone includes local and local toll calls and a  $0.05 minute rate nationwide long distance and calls to Canada. WOW! Standard Phone includes unlimited inbound and 100 minutes of local, domestic long distance and Canada outbound calling per usage period.
• Local Number Portability
• 911/E911 Services
• 900/976 Number Block (you may choose to unblock this feature)
• Collect Calling (you may choose to block this feature)
• *67 Caller ID Block
• Standard Directory Listing (residential only)

Yes, Voicemail is included in the WOW! Phone Advanced package and may be purchased a la carte with the Essential and Standard phone packages. The Voicemail feature includes one voice mailbox.

Yes. Caller ID display equipment works with WOW! Phone. WOW! Phone offers Caller ID with the WOW! Phone Advanced package. To use the Caller ID features you must have Caller ID display equipment or a phone with Caller ID built in.

Yes, you can receive collect calls as you normally would. For any collect calls you accept, you may be billed separately by the phone company from which that call originated.

Yes. Similar to your existing phone provider, WOW! has additional fees to use these services.

Yes, WOW! Phone customers will be listed in the phone book.  If you want your phone number to remain private, contact us at 1-866-496-9669 to speak with a representative.  Additional charges may apply if you change your directory listing information.

At this time, WOW! does not support Medical Alert and Lifeline services.  Because of the nature of our phone system, and its dependence on functioning power and cable lines, it is recommended that you continue with your landline service.  Any voice service may become temporarily unavailable due to network issues or events outside the control of your service provider.  WOW! is unable to provide you with specific guidance for every emergency situation that you may encounter in the future.  However, if your specific situation permits, you may wish to attempt to reach emergency services via a mobile phone, if available, or through the assistance of a neighbor.

TRS is a free service, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, that enables people who have difficulty speaking or hearing to use a standard voice telephone. Callers can contact a TRS by dialing 711 from anywhere in the United States. All WOW! phone service supports 711 dialing to access a TRS. The TRS service calls are facilitated by a communications assistant (CA) who serves as the "link" in the conversation between WOW! and the customer. The CA says, "Hello, this is the relay service. Have you received a relay call before?" The TRS service is available in English and Spanish.  All conversations occurring with the assistance of a CA are confidential and cannot be disclosed by the CA.  In an emergency the caller should still call 911 for the fastest response of emergency personnel.

For more information regarding 711, visit www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/711.html.

Caller ID, Call Waiting and Voicemail services can be cancelled.  To cancel any of these services, contact us at 1-866-496-9669.

The Advanced Phone package provides unlimited local and long distance calling so you can place calls anywhere across the United States and Canada for just one low monthly price. There are no minutes to watch, so feel free to talk as long as you want.

If you don't usually make long distance calls, WOW! Essential Phone package may be a good choice for you with free local and local toll calls, and nationwide long distance and calls to Canada at just $0.05/minute.

If you just want the peace of mind of a home phone service but do not make many outbound calls, WOW! Standard Phone  may be right for you. With unlimited inbound and 100  minutes of local and domestic long distance outbound calling per usage period, WOW! Standard Phone  is a perfect fit for those that need a phone line for  security systems or emergency use.

Yes. WOW! Advanced Phone allows you to call anyone, anytime, anywhere in the United States and Canada for one simple and low monthly price. Essential Phone customers pay only $0.05/minute for nationwide long distance and calls to Canada. WOW! Standard Phone includes 100 minutes of local, domestic long distance and Canada outbound calling per billing period. Once the 100 minutes has been reached these calls will be billed at $0.05 per minute.

There are no changes in the way you make a long distance call with WOW! Phone. Calls to international locations are extra but are billed at rates competitive with other major providers. For a complete list of international call rates, click here.

Yes. Calls to international locations are not included in your monthly package price, but are billed at rates competitive with other major providers. And there are no changes to how you place international calls with WOW! Phone. Just dial as you normally would. (example: 011+country code + city code+ plus the number of the person you are trying to reach). For a list of International Calling Rates, click here.

• You, or someone over the age of 18 authorized to sign for the service, must be home for the installation process. A technician will arrive any time within your scheduled installation window.
• Please plan on the installation lasting a minimum of two hours from the time the technician arrives.
• The technician will provide you with an eMTA (embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapter), which is similar to a cable modem. Be sure to keep the eMTA plugged into an electrical outlet that cannot be turned on and off using a light switch in order to avoid service interruptions.
• If you have a home security system, you will need to notify your security company of the date and time scheduled for installation of your WOW! Phone service so that your alarm company can arrange to test your alarm system while our technician is at your home. Our phone service should work with most home alarm systems using tone dialing and standard data communications protocols.
• In order to avoid any interruption in your phone service, please do not contact your current phone provider to disconnect your service before your WOW! Phone installation is complete.

Yes. In order for WOW! to effectively complete the installation and test your WOW! Phone service, you must be present at the time of installation. If you cannot be home at the time of the scheduled installation, it is important that you contact WOW! as soon as possible so we can reschedule your installation and avoid a situation where you may be without phone service completely. If you are not home at the time of installation and do not contact WOW! to reschedule the appointment, we will be forced to cancel your WOW! Phone order and you will need to contact us again to place a new order. Failure to reschedule your appointment as soon as possible may result in the loss of your existing phone service.

Your WOW! Phone service will be activated once our technician has completed installation. During installation, the WOW! technician will provide you with a user guide that summarizes the calling plan and features associated with WOW! Phone.

Yes. If you decide to keep your current telephone number you will not need to contact your old provider; we will do that for you. In the event you are keeping your current telephone number, you will continue to have service from your old provider until the installation is complete and we inform them that WOW! is providing service.

If you receive a new telephone number from WOW!, then it will be necessary for you to contact your old provider to disconnect service. We would recommend that you do that after the installation of WOW! Phone service so as to minimize service disruptions.

If you are a current high-speed Internet customer and own your cable modem, then the installation will involve providing you with a new advanced modem. The advanced modem will serve as your connection for WOW! Phone service. There is a small monthly lease fee for this advanced modem.

No, you must lease your eMTA modem from WOW!.  This ensures that it is fully compatible with our phone service and, if problems arise, can be serviced by a WOW! technician.

If you are a current WOW! High-speed Internet customer, then the installation will involve replacing the existing high-speed cable modem for a new advanced modem. The advanced modem should remain with your computer so that you can use it for high-speed Internet access as well. A phone outlet needs to be nearby to complete a typical installation.

If you do not have WOW! High-speed Internet, the advanced modem should be placed in an area that is easily accessible to a cable connection and a phone jack. The WOW! technician will be able to help you determine the best place to install the advanced modem.

No. There is no additional equipment to buy as long as you have a working touch-tone telephone in your home.

The advanced modems are maintained by WOW! and are subject to a monthly lease fee. Leasing the equipment from WOW! means you need not worry about replacing old, obsolete or broken equipment.

The information below shows the WebSTAR DPX2203C advanced modem LED patterns during normal operation. The Power LED should always be on during normal operation. The Link LED only indicates the link status of the Ethernet interface. The USB interface does not use this LED.

Receive:
Flash = Normal Traffic Flow

Send:
Flash = Normal Traffic Flow

Cable:
On = Internet available.
Off=Internet not available.

PC:
On = CPE connected to ethernet port
Off = CPE not connected to Ethernet port

Telephone 1 / Telephone 2:
On = Service available. Phone off hook.
Off = Normal Operation

Battery Lights:
Battery Low = Recharge battery soon.
Replace Battery = Battery expired. Please replace battery.

No. Any standard, touch-tone phone will work with WOW! Phone. It makes no difference whether it is a wall mounted phone or a portable cordless phone. All types of standard, touch-tone phones can be used. Answering machines, fax machines and caller ID display equipment will also work with WOW! Phone service. However, it is important to note that rotary phones are not supported by WOW! Phone.

Yes. Cordless home phones work with WOW! Phone.

The advanced modem that supports WOW! Phone has a back-up battery that lasts for up to 4 hours when fully charged. Regular phones will continue to work as usual during the back-up battery time provided. The battery will recharge once power has been restored, and takes about 18 hours to recharge from a fully discharged state. Please note that if you use a cordless phone or a phone that is plugged into an electrical outlet, it will not have power during a power outage.

No.  Non-payment will result in the disconnection of all WOW! services.

Yes, WOW! Phone should have no impact on your computer home networking. WOW! also offers a home networking advanced modem that has home networking built in. There is an additional charge for this type of advanced modem. Call WOW! at 1-866-496-9669 to see if the WOW! Home Networking modem is right for you.

WOW! Phone will work with dial-up Internet service. However, WOW! does offer several options for high-speed Internet service. When bundled with our phone and cable TV services, our high-speed Internet may cost less than many dial-up providers.

WOW! Phone will work with most monitored home security systems. WOW! Phone also includes back-up power for up to 4 hours when fully charged in the event of a power outage. Similar to traditional telephone service providers, WOW! does not install, support, or service monitored home security systems. WOW! strongly recommends contacting your security system provider to conduct a test on your alarm system after installing WOW! Phone and on a regular basis as needed.

Yes. Fax machines will work with WOW! Phone as long as they are set to tone dialing.

Yes. Answering machines will work with WOW! Phone.

Yes. Caller ID display equipment works with WOW! Phone. WOW! Phone offers Caller ID with the WOW! Phone Advanced package. To use the Caller ID features you must have Caller ID display equipment or a phone with Caller ID built in.

Yes, but you might not need your Caller IQ Phone to provide you with a Low Cost Routing (LCR) feature any longer. The Advanced Phone calling plan includes unlimited long distance calling in the United States for one low price.

The Caller IQ Phone with LCR feature may actually prevent you from making long distance calls through your WOW! Phone. We advise consulting your telephone user manual to turn off your LCR feature

You can find the Phone User Guide here.

Yes. To remove Voicemail, please contact Customer Support at 1-866-496-9669. Representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The government has a website that you can use to sign up for the Do Not Call list. You can find that here.

Calls to 900 and 976 area codes are blocked by default.  If you would like these unblocked, call us at 1-866-496-9669.

If your phone is not working and you also have WOW! Internet and/or WOW! Cable, please check your other services to see if they are working. If they are also not working then there may be a cable outage in your area. Please contact WOW! at 1-866-4WOW-NOW (1-866-496-9669).

If your cable television service from WOW! is working and your phone service is not, please check the following:

• Telephone 1 LED (Telephone 2 LED if there is also a line connected to the Telephone 2 connection on the back of the advanced modem) is ON. (See figure 1)
• Make sure all phones are hung up properly.
• If you are using a cordless phone, check the power or battery status of your phone(s).
• Check the telephone cables to ensure they are connected tightly and the cables are not cracked or broken.

If your phone service is still not working, please try the following steps:

Try plugging a standard phone directly into the Telephone 1 (Telephone 2 if applicable) connection on the back of the advanced modem and check for a dial tone. If there is a dial tone, then there may be an issue with the wiring to the phone jack. It is recommended that you leave the phone connected directly to the advanced modem to place or receive calls until the issue can be corrected.

If you still do not have phone service, it may be that there is an issue with your advanced modem. It may be necessary to reset the advanced modem.

To reset the advanced modem, press the recessed reset button with a pen tip or other pointed non-metallic object on the back of the advanced modem.  Once the online light is solid, connectivity to the network has been restored.  If you have reset the advanced modem and still do not have a dial tone, please check the status of the lights (LEDs) on the modem.  For mnormal operation of the advanced modem the Power, DS, US and Online lights should all be on solid.  he Telephone 1 LED on the front of the advanced modem should be on solid if the phone is on the hook.  If the LED is flashing, check all your phones to see if one is off the hook.

There are many possible causes of poor call quality.  If you are experiencing call quality issues, please call us at 1-866-496-9669.  When troubleshooting phone issues, our representatives may ask you to reboot your modem which will cause a temporary loss in phone service so, if possible, please call from a mobile phone.   To help our representatives, have the following information ready.

• Does it happen on inbound calls, outbound calls, or both?
• Does it happen on every call, or is it intermittent?
• Which side can hear it: you, the person you're calling, or both?
• How long ago did the issue start?
• Does it tend to happen during any specific period of the day?
• If calls are dropping, approximately how far into the call is the line dropped?
• Do you have a wireless router?

If you are not receiving calls on your WOW! Phone but can make calls, please try the following.

• Check the ringer on your phone to make sure it is turned on.
• If the phone rings a half ring on incoming calls, Call Forwarding may be activated. To deactivate Call Forwarding, dial *73. You'll hear two short tones followed by the dial tone.
• Try to plug a working corded phone into different jacks to find out if the issue is isolated to one phone or jack.
• If you are still having problems, call us at 1-866-496-9669 to speak with a representative.

If you can receive calls but cannot make calls with your WOW! Phone service, try the following:

• Try to plug a working corded phone into different jacks to find out if the issue is isolated to one phone or jack.
• If you are calling out of your local calling area, confirm that you are dialing 1, then the area code and the number.
• If you are still having problems, call us at 1-866-496-9669 to speak with a representative.

Check the following to attempt to restore your phone service:

• Make sure all phones are on the hook and that cordless phone batteries are charged.
• Try to plug a working corded phone into different jacks to find out if the issue is isolated to one phone or jack.
• Plug the phone directly into your eMTA to determine if the issue may be related to the wiring inside your home.
• If you are still having issues, contact us at 1-866-496-9669.

If you can make local calls but cannot make long distance calls, please try the following:

• If calling an international number, ensure that you are dialing correctly. Instructions for placing international calls can be found under the "International Rates" tab.
• If you are calling out of your local calling area, confirm that you are dialing 1, then the area code and the number.
• If you are still experiencing problems, contact us at 1-866-496-9669.

If one of your phone jacks is not working, please try the following: 

• Verify that the problem is not the phone itself by plugging another phone into the jack
• Check the connections on all your phones to make sure they are securely plugged in
• The phone jack may not have been activated at the time of your WOW! Phone service installation. In this case, a technician will need to visit your home to activate the jack.
• If you are still experiencing problems, contact us at 1-866-496-9669.

To reset the advanced modem, press the recessed reset button with a pen tip or other pointed non-metallic object on the back of the advanced modem. Once the online light is on solid, connectivity to the network has been restored. If you have reset the advanced modem and still do not have a dial tone, please check the status of the lights (LEDs) on the modem. For normal operation of the advanced modem the Power, DS, US and Online lights should all be on solid. The Telephone 1 LED on the front of the advanced modem should be on solid if the phone is on the hook. If the LED is flashing check all your phones to see if one is off the hook.

If you reset the advanced modem you will lose connectivity to the Internet and phone service while the modem reconnects with the WOW! network. This means that if you are using your phone while trying to reset the modem, your phone call will be disconnected.

You will need to install the USB drivers for the advanced modem if you use the USB connection. For more information about installing the USB drivers, please see the question - How do I install the USB drivers for the advanced modem?

The USB drivers for the advanced modem are on the CD that accompanies the modem. After ensuring the advanced modem has power, proceed as follows:

1. Plug the appropriate end of the USB cable into the advanced modem and the other end into the computer’s USB port.
2. Insert the Touchstone USB Drivers CD into the CD drive on the computer.
3. Click the Next button. The wizard prompts you for the location of the drivers.
4. Select “Search for a suitable driver...”, then click the Next button. The wizard displays a list of search options.
5. Make sure the CD-ROM option is selected (checked), then click the Next button. The wizard searches the specified locations, then displays the location and name of the appropriate driver.
6. Click the Next button. The wizard installs the drivers, then displays a window indicating that the installation is complete.
7. Click the Finish button.

Follow these steps to install the WebSTAR cable modem USB drivers:

• Insert the USB Cable Modem Driver Installation Disk into the CD-ROM drive of your PC.
• Wait for the Power and Cable indicators on the cable modem to illuminate solid green; then plug the USB cable into the USB port on your PC. Result: Found New Hardware Wizard window opens
• In the Found New Hardware Wizard window, select Install from a list or specific location (Advanced) and then click Next.
• In the Found New Hardware Wizard Window, select Search removable media(floppy, CD-ROM), and then click Next. Result: The Hardware Installation window opens
• In the Hardware Installation window, click Continue Anyway to continue the installation. Result: The Found New Hardware Wizard reopens with a message that the installation has finished.
• Click Finish to close the Found New Hardware Wizard window. Result: the USB drivers are installed on your PC and your cable modem is now ready for use.

The following information shows the advanced modem LED patterns during normal operation. The power LED should always be on during normal operation. The Link LED only indicates the link status of the Ethernet interface. The USB interface does not use this LED.

DS
On = Connected to Internet
Flash = Not Connected to Internet, Standby mode enabled
US
On = Connected to Internet
Flash = Not Connected to Internet, Standby mode enabled
Online
On = Internet available, Standby mode disabled
Off = Internet not available, Standby mode enabled
Link
On = CPE Connected to Ethernet port
Off = CPE not connected to Ethernet port
Flash = CPE Activity on Ethernet port
Telephone1/ Telephone2
On = Service available, phone on hook
Off = Service not available
Flash = phone off hook
Battery1/ Battery 2
On = Battery good
Off = Battery bad or missing
Flash = Battery low

The Standby button may be used to disconnect your computer from the Internet when not in use (Standby mode enabled). Pressing the button again will reconnect your computer to the Internet (Standby mode disabled).

The standby button has no effect before the modem has registered on our network. The current Standby mode setting is stored on non-volatile memory. If the advanced modem is reset or loses power, it returns to its previous state.

The Standby button will not affect the telephone service.

Please try the following:
1. Reset your modem. On the back of the modem where the cables are located, there is a small hole labeled “Reset”. Insert an unfolded paperclip (or toothpick or something similar in size) for 2-3 seconds. Wait 1-2 minutes. Retest your phone service.
2. Connect one telephone handset directly into the Telephone 1 port on the back of the modem. You will need to disconnect the telephone cord already connected to that port to try this. Check to see if the issue is resolved.

If the issue is not resolved, please use an alternate phone line (cell phone, neighbor's phone, etc) to contact Customer Support at 1-866-496-9669. Representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

AC:
Green = Indicates the power supply is on house power.
Yellow=Indicates the power supply is on battery power.

Output:
DC output power is provided by the battery or house power

Battery:
Off = Battery good.
On=Replace battery.

To remove the battery from the standalone unit, pull open the door on the front of the unit. Push the battery release lever to the right. With your other hand, pull firmly on the battery strap to release the battery.

To remove the battery from the WebSTAR DPX2203C advanced modem, press front panel as indicated above the Webstar logo and the door will pop open. Next pull battery firmly by the strap and remove.

A call made outside your local calling area but still within your own Local Access Transport Area (LATA), they may also be called an intraLATA call. These calls are not far enough away to be considered long distance but typically cost money when placed with a traditional phone provider. Local Toll calls are included for free in your WOW! Phone package as part of the unlimited local and local toll calling. With the Standard Phone package 100 minutes of local, domestic long distance and Canada outbound calling is included per usage period. Once the 100 minutes has been reached these calls will be billed at $0.05 per minute.

Due to the large volume of telephone number being used today, many area codes have been split to allow for more numbers to be introduced.  The new area code is required to complete the call because they are associated with routing the call to a specific community.

A call made from one Local Access Transport Area (LATA) to another is considered a long distance call. These calls, as well as calls to Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, Hawaii and Alaska are included for free with WOW! Advanced Phone as part of  unlimited local and long distance calling.  These calls are only $0.05/minute with the Essential Phone package.  WOW! Standard Phone includes 100 minutes of local, domestic long distance and Canada outbound calling per billing period. Once the 100 minutes has been reached these calls will be billed at $0.05 per minute.

By default, all 900 and 976 phone numbers are blocked to prevent unwanted charges on your phone bill.  If you would like the 900-976 block removed, contact WOW! at 1-866-496-9669.

Caller ID allows you to see who's calling before you answer the phone. After the first ring, information about your incoming call will automatically appears on your Caller ID screen.

Note: 

• If you see "Private" or "P", the caller may have blocked the display of their name and number by pressing *67 before placing the call.
• If you see "unknown name", "unknown number", "out of area" or "O", the caller is in an area that does not support Caller ID. Not all phone companies support the Caller ID of callers from other companies. You may see the caller's state and phone number, or just the phone number, if the other company does not support Caller ID.
• You need a Caller ID display telephone or an add-on display to see Caller ID.

Not available with Standard Phone

To block your identity from being displayed on the Caller ID system of the person you are calling, press *67 before placing the call. Caller ID block is entered one call at a time.

When you're on the phone and another call comes in, Caller ID for Call Waiting will allow you to see who is trying to reach you in the same way you would see an identifier for a caller if the phone were not being used.

Note: Results of this feature may vary depending on the type of caller ID equipment you own

Not available with Standard Phone

Call Waiting allows you to hear when another caller is trying to reach you when you are already on another call. When a second call comes in, the caller hears normal ringing while you hear a special tone.

To answer a second call:
Press and quickly release the receiver or "flash" button on your phone. While you talk with one caller, the other caller is automatically put on hold. Each conversation is private.

To alternate between calls:
Press and quickly release the receiver or "flash" button again to return to the first call.

To end either call:
Hang up and your phone will ring right away. When you answer it, you will be connected with the other call.

To cancel Call Waiting:
Dial *70, wait for a dial tone and dial your number. You must do this each time you wish to cancel call waiting.

Not available with Standard Phone

If you are placing a call and do not want to be interrupted by Call Waiting, you can "cancel" call waiting for that particular call.  To cancel call waiting, dial *70 and wait for a dial tone.  Dial the phone number you are trying to reach.  You must do this each time you wish to cancel call waiting and this feature is available for outbound calls only.

To disable Call Waiting completely, contact us at 1-866-496-9669.

Unfortunately the "screeching" sound you hear instead of the call waiting beep is an issue with the way your phone interprets the data packet being sent for Call Waiting Caller ID.  WOW! does not have a resolution for this issue at this time.

The Call Forwarding feature will direct a call to the number the user dictates - this destination number can be changed each time Call Forwarding is set. To activate, dial *72. Dial the number you want to forward your calls to. When someone at that number answers, Call Forwarding is activated. If no one answers or the line is busy, press the receiver button for one second and repeat the steps listed above within two minutes. When you hear two beeps, Call Forwarding has been activated. To deactivate,, dial *73.You'll hear two short tones followed by the dial tone.

Not available with Standard Phone

The Selective Call Forwarding feature makes sure you never miss an important call. With Selective Call Forwarding you can forward calls from a list of up to 12 phone numbers to any phone number you choose. Selective Call Forwarding cannot be used with cell phones, pay phones or virtual numbers.

Phone

To activate or deactivate Selective Call Forwarding:

1. Listen for a dial tone
2. Dial *63
3. Listen to the ON/OFF announcement
4. To turn the service on press 3
5. To Add an entry to the forwarding list press #
6. To Remove one or more entries from the forwarding list press *
7. To hear entries on the forwarding list press 1
8. To repeat instructions dial 0

To turn the Selective Call Forwarding feature ON for the first time:

1. Listen for a dial tone
2. Dial *63
3. Press 3 and then add the phone number that you would like your selected phone numbers forwarded to.

You will need to add the destination phone number and the specific selected phone numbers to your forwarding list. See details below.

To add the destination phone number you want your calls forwarded to:

1. Listen for a dial tone
2. Dial *63
3. Press 3
4. Enter the destination phone number you would like your calls forwarded to
5. Press # and the announcement will list the new phone number that your selected calls are being forwarded to
6. Press 1 to confirm the new destination phone number
7. If you want to turn the service ON, follow prompts or instructions below to add a phone number to your forwarding list
8. If you want to keep the feature OFF, hang up 

To change the destination phone number you want your calls forwarded to:

1. Listen for a dial tone
2. Dial *63
3. Press 3 and the announcement will list the phone number that your selected calls are being forwarded to
4. Press 0 to change the phone number you would like your select calls forwarded to
5. Enter the new destination phone number
6. Press # and the announcement will list the new phone number that your selected calls are being forwarded to
7. Press 1 to confirm the new destination phone number
8. When finished, hang up 

To remove the destination phone number you want your calls forwarded to:

It is not possible to completely remove the destination phone number once the Selective Call Forwarding feature has been activated. As long as Selective Call Forwarding is OFF, selected phone numbers will not be forwarded to the last stored destination phone number. The system will still store the last destination phone number should you decide to turn the feature back on at a later date.

Phone

To add a specific phone number to your forwarded list with Selective Call Forwarding OFF:

1. Listen for a dial tone
2. Dial *63
3. Listen to the ON/OFF announcement. The announcement will indicate how many phone numbers are on your list
4. Press # to add an entry
5. Enter the selected phone number you wish to add to your forwarding list
6. Press # again
7. The system will confirm the phone number and add it to your forwarding list
8. If you would like to add another phone number press # and enter the next phone number followed by #
9. If you do not want to add more entries, hang up

To add the phone number of the last incoming call to your forwarded list with Selective Call Forwarding OFF:

1. Listen for a dial tone
2. Dial *63
3. Listen to the ON/OFF announcement
4. The announcement will indicate how many phone numbers are on you forwarding list
5. Dial #01#
6. The system will confirm the last phone number received and add it to your forwarding list
7. If you would like to add another phone number press # and enter the next phone number followed by #
8. If you do not want to add more entries, hang up

To add a specific phone number to your forwarded list with Selective Call Forwarding already ON:

1. Listen for a dial tone
2. Dial *63
3. Listen to the ON/OFF announcement. The announcement will indicate how many phone numbers are on your list
4. Press 1
5. Press # to add an entry
6. Enter the selected phone number to be added to your forwarding list
7. Press # again
8. The system will confirm the phone number and add it to your forwarding list
9. If you would like to add another phone number press # and enter the next phone number followed by #
10. If you do not want to add more entries, hang up

To add the phone number of the last incoming call to your forwarded list with Selective Call Forwarding already ON:

1. Listen for a dial tone
2. Dial *63
3. Listen to the ON/OFF announcement
4. The announcement will indicate how many phone numbers are on your forwarding list
5. Press 1
6. Dial #01#
7. The system will confirm the last phone number received and add it to your forwarding list
8. If you would like to add another phone number press # and enter the next phone number followed by #
9. If you do not want to add more entries, hang up

To remove a specific phone number from your forwarded list:

1. Listen for a dial tone
2. Dial *63
3. Listen to the ON/OFF announcement
4. The announcement will indicate how many phone numbers are on your forwarding list
5. Press 1
6. Press the * key to remove one or more entries
7. Dial the phone number to be removed
8. Press the * key again
9. The announcement will confirm the phone number to be removed
10. When finished, hang up 

To remove all phone numbers from your forwarded list:

1. Listen for a dial tone
2. Dial *63
3. Listen to the ON/OFF announcement
4. The announcement will indicate how many phone numbers are on your forwarded list
5. Press 1
6. Dial *08 to remove all entries
7. The announcement will confirm that there are no more phone numbers on your list
8. When finished, hang up

To review all phone numbers on your forwarded list and delete one or all of the phone numbers on the list:

1. Listen for a dial tone
2. Dial *63
3. Listen to the ON/OFF announcement
4. The announcement will indicate how many phone numbers are on your forwarded list
5. Press 1
6. The announcement will indicate how many phone numbers are on your forwarded list again
7. The system will repeat all numbers on your list
8. If you would like to delete a specific phone number from your list at this time dial 07 after hearing the entry and the system will confirm the phone number was removed and continue listing phone numbers
9. If you would like to delete all phone numbers from your list you may dial 08 at any time
10. When finished, hang up

To turn the Selective Call Forwarding feature OFF:

1. Listen for a dial tone
2. Dial *63
3. Listen to the ON/OFF announcement
4. Press 1
5. Press 3
6. The system will announce that Selective Call Forwarding is now off
7. When finished, hang upne

To turn the Selective Call Forwarding feature back ON:

1. Listen for a dial tone
2. Dial *63
3. Press 3
4. The system will announce what destination phone number was previously set up for Call Forwarding
5. Press 1 if the phone number is correct. Selective Call Forwarding will be turned back on
6. When finished, hang up

NOTE: Selective Call Forwarding and Call Forwarding can be available on the same line, but only one can be active at a time. The destination of your Selective Call Forwarding may be local or long distance

Use Call Return to automatically dial your last incoming call, whether the call was answered, unanswered, or busy. To activate, dial *69 and listen for a recording of the last number that was called. To call that number, dial 1. If the number is busy, hang up. Within 30 minutes, during which you can still make and receive calls, a distinctive ring will signal when the number is available. If the 30 minutes pass without the distinctive ring, Call Return is deactivated. To deactivate while waiting for the party you are trying to reach to become available, dial *89.

Not available with Standard Phone

"Slamming" is the illegal practice of changing a consumer's telephone service without permission.

Selective Call Rejection allows you to screen calls from up to 12 numbers that you specify.

To activate or deactivate Selective Call Rejection:

• Listen for a dial tone.
• Dial *60.
• Listen to the ON/OFF announcement.
• To turn the feature ON or OFF, press 3.

To program a number:

• Listen for a dial tone.
• Dial *60.
• Press #.
• Wait for the tone.
• Enter the selected phone number.
• Press # again.
• Hang up.

To add the number of the last incoming call to the list:

• Listen for a dial tone.
• Dial *60.
• Dial #01#.

To remove or hear the phone numbers on your list:

• Listen for the dial tone.
• Dial *60 and listen for the instructions.

NOTE: If one of your Selective Call Rejection numbers is also on another Selective Call feature list, you must deactivate Selective Call Rejection before using the other feature.

Not available with Standard Phone

Anonymous Call Rejection blocks calls from unidentified numbers. Calls that appear as unknown or unavailable will not be blocked. To activate, dial *77. Two beeps tell you Anonymous Call Rejection is turned on. To turn off, dial *87, two beeps tell you it has been turned off.

Not available with Standard Phone

This feature permits a 3-Way conference call. To use 3-Way Calling, place the person you're talking with on hold by pressing the receiver button for one second. A dial tone will follow. Call a second person. When you get an answer, press the receiver button briefly again. All three of you will be connected. When either of the people you called hangs up, you remain connected to the other person. As center of the conference, if you hang up, the conference ends.

Not available with Standard Phone

No, 3-way calling is available free of charge to WOW! Essential and WOW! Advanced Phone subscribers.

Repeat Dialing is a service that repeatedly redials a busy number for you until the call goes through. You will be notified by a special ring and can simply pick up the receiver to put the call through. To activate Repeat Dial, pick up the receiver and dial *66. After the recording tells you Repeat Dialing is activated, hang up. As Repeat Dialing keeps calling, you can still use your phone as usual. A distinctive ring means the line you're redialing is free. Pick up and the number you want will be ringing. Repeat Dialing can monitor more than one busy number at a time, with distinctive rings used for each (Caller ID, if so equipped, also shows which number has been reached). If you hear a fast busy signal or an announcement that the call cannot be completed, then the number is either invalid/not working, or has activated Call Forwarding.

Repeat Dialing deactivates automatically if you do not get through within 30 minutes. To deactivate Repeat Dialing manually, listen for a dial tone and dial *86. Listen for the announcement

Not available with Standard Phone

You can block outbound calls to international numbers, collect calling and third party calling.  To block these types of calls, contact us at 1-866-496-9669.

You can block inbound calls using Selective Call Rejection to block certain numbers or Anonymous Call Rejection to block any call that blocks calls from unidentifiable callers.

Calls to 1-900 or 1-976 phone numbers are blocked by default. WOW! will unblock access to these numbers at the customers request by calling 1-866-4WOW-NOW (1-866-496-9669).

To list or unlist your contact information, call us at 1-866-496-9669.

A Published Directory Listing means that a customer's contact information will be printed in the white pages and available by dialing Directory Assistance (411).

An Unlisted Directory Listing means that a customer's contact information is not printed in the white pages, but the telephone number can be found through Directory Assistance (411).

An Unpublished Directory Listing means that a customer's contact information will not be listed in the white pages or available through Directory Assistance (411).

*Additional charges may apply if you make changes to your directory listing*

Our operator assistance provider made the decision to switch to an automated system.

Yes, Voicemail is included in the WOW! Phone Advanced package and may be purchased a la carte with the Essential and Standard packages. The Voicemail feature includes one voice mailbox.

You can store up to 30 messages (no longer than 4 minutes each) for a total of 120 minutes. If you have exceeded your limit, callers will receive a message stating that your voicemail is full and will not be able to leave a message. You can save messages, but make sure you review them often and delete messages that you don't need to save.  Unsaved messages are automatically deleted after 30 days, so save messages immediately.

The maximum number of voice messages that can be stored in your Voicemail is 30.  Messages are limited to 4 minutes each.

The first time you access Voicemail, you must call from your home using your WOW! Phone service.

Dial your ten digit home phone number, and then enter the default password of "1234."  Once you enter the system, a tutorial will guide you through the setup of your new voicemail service.  You will then be prompted to create a new password, record your name and record your personal greeting.

Note: You must complete all the steps above during a single call, or you will need to repeat all the steps the next time you call in to Voicemail.

You voicemail greeting can be up to 30 seconds.

To access Voicemail from your home phone, you can dial either *98 or your ten digit home phone number.

To access Voicemail while away from home, dial your WOW! Phone number and press the * key during the outgoing greeting. You will be asked to enter your passcode to access Voicemail.

You can also dial the access number below:
Cleveland: (440) 973-4WOW (4969)
Columbus: (614) 396-MAIL (6245)
Evansville: (812) 401-MAIL (6245)
Illinois: (630) 219-MAIL (6245)
Michigan: (248) 439-MAIL (6245)

When you take your home phone off-hook, you will hear approximately 10 seconds of stuttered dial tone if there are new messages.
You may also be notified visually if you have a phone capable of visual message waiting notification, the message waiting light on your phone will either flash or illuminate, depending on the type of phone you own.

The Voicemail will answer the call after the 4th ring. This setting cannot be changed.

You can access your voicemail by calling your home phone directly and dialing * when you hear your voicemail greeting.  You can also use the access number listed below:

Cleveland: (440) 973-4WOW (4969)
Columbus: (614) 396-MAIL (6245)
Evansville: (812) 401-MAIL (6245)
Illinois: (630) 219-MAIL (6245)
Michigan: (248) 439-MAIL (6245)

You can delete a message while it is playing by pressing 7 two times.

If you accidentally delete a message, it can be retrieved by pressing 9 as long as you remain in the voicemail system.  Once you have logged out (hung up) of the voicemail system, your deleted messages are removed completely.

If a message is deleted, it can be retrieved as long as you remain in the voicemail system.  Once you have logged out (hung up) of the voicemail system, your deleted messages are removed completely.

Callers can leave a message up to 4 minutes in length.

As long as you continue to re-save a message and have adequate storage space, you can keep messages indefinitely.  You can save up to 30 messages in your inbox at one time.  If you try to save additional messages once this limit has been reached, the oldest saved message will be deleted to make room for the new message.

If you forget your password or enter it incorrectly (up to four times) you will need to contact our Customer Care Center at 1-866-496-9669 to have it reset.

Callers trying to leave a message will receive a message stating that the mailbox is full and will not be able to leave a message.  The voicemail system will not automatically delete messages so if your mailbox is full, you will need to delete messages to free up space.

If your Saved Message box is full and you try to save another message, the oldest saved message will be deleted to make room for the new message.

Caller ID Block prevents your phone number and information from being displayed on the Caller ID system of the person you are calling.  Anonymous Call Rejection blocks calls from unidentified numbers.

If you have both of these options enabled on your home phone line, dialing your home phone number from your home phone will result in the call being blocked.  To check voicemail, you can do one of the following:

• Disable Anonymous Call Rejection by dialing *87. This will remain disabled until you dial *77 to re-enable Anonymous Call Rejection 

• Unblock the telephone number (with Outbound Caller ID Block) by dialing *82 or *67 immediately before dialing the 10-digit home telephone number. The telephone number will be blocked again once you hang up the phone, so you will need to dial *82 or *67 every time you access voicemail.
• Use the voicemail access number below to access your voicemail without disabling either feature:
  
  Cleveland: (440) 973-4WOW (4969)
  Columbus: (614) 396-MAIL (6245)
  Evansville: (812) 401-MAIL (6245)
  Illinois: (630) 219-MAIL (6245)
  Michigan: (248) 439-MAIL (6245)

1. Access voicemail.

2. Press 4 for PERSONAL OPTIONS from the MAIN MENU.

3. Press 1 for MANAGE GREETING.

4. You will have the following options:

• Press 1 to listen to the current custom greeting.
• Press 2 to Re-record the custom greeting.
• Press 3 to delete the custom greeting.
• Press 4 to play a standard system greeting with only a name announcement.
• Press 5 to play a standard system greeting with onlya number announcement.
• Press 6 to play a standard system greeting that does not disclose name or number.
• Press 7 to play a standard system greeting with a recorded personal greeting.

If a greeting option is already active, it will not be available for selection through the MANAGE GREETING menu. For example, if you have "A standard system greeting with number" active, when you enter the menu that option will not be available.

1. Access voicemail.

2. Press 4 for PERSONAL OPTIONS.

3. Press 4 for RECORD NAME.

4. Record name at the tone.

5. Press # to finish.

1. Access voicemail.

2. Press 4 for PERSONAL OPTIONS.

3. Press 2 for MANAGE PASSWORD.

4. Press 1 to CHANGE PASSWORD.

5. Enter the current password.

6. Press # to finish.

7. Enter the new password. (at least 4 digits long)

8. Press # to finish.

1. Access voicemail.

2. Press 4 for PERSONAL OPTIONS.

3. Press 8 for MANAGE MESSAGE PLAYBACK.

4. To change the DATE AND TIME PLAYBACK:

a. Press 1

b. Press 2 to turn Date and Time Playback Off.

c. Press * to return to the previous menu.

5. To change the SENDER INFORMATIONPLAYBACK:

a. Press 2

b. Press 2 to turn Sender Information Playback Off.

c. Press * to return to the previous menu.

6. To control MESSAGE AUTO PLAY:

a. Press 3

b. Press 1 to turn Message Auto Play On.

c. Press 3 to turn on just Message Envelope Auto Play.

d. Press * to return to the previous menu.

7. Press * to go back to the PERSONAL OPTION MENU.

Yes. WOW! is concerned about your safety. We want you to feel secure that emergency assistance is only three digits away, similar to your standard telephone. That's why 911 Emergency Dialing is included with every WOW! Phone plan.

There are some important differences when calling 911 services with WOW! Phone that you should be aware of.

Service Outages Can Prevent 911 Emergency Dialing

Just as your regular cordless phone will not work today without power, your advanced modem does not operate without power. Please note that the WOW! Phone advanced modem also includes back-up power so if there is a power outage, WOW! Phone will still operate for up to 4 hours when fully charged (this will depend on your phones as well – cordless phones or phones that are plugged into an electrical outlet do not work without power) giving you the ability to access 911 services or make other calls. You will not be able to make 911 calls from your WOW! phone if there is a service outage on the cable line connected to your advanced modem.

Because WOW manages 911 call routing and data streaming the same way as other major phone providers, our customers should not have any issues connecting with their local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for 911 services. However, it is important to note that completing phone calls on WOW’s network is contingent on power. If you are without power for more than 4 hours, you will most likely not be able to place any phone calls on the WOW network until power is restored. The phone modems provide about four hours of back-up battery to assist with minor power outages, but similar to cordless phone, the continued use of the phone modem is reliant on a power source.

Because the equipment used to support WOW! Phone in the customer’s home (advanced phone modem) relies on a power source; power outages can have an impact on your ability to place and receive calls, including 911 calls. WOW! provides battery back-up power to the advanced phone modem which will provide an additional four hours of standby power in the event of a power outage. However, if the power outage lasts longer than the battery back-up, you will be unable to place a 911 call (or any call) after the battery back up has expired (approximately four hours). Phone usage while on battery back-up power will impact the total back-up time of the battery.

WOW! Phone relies on the cable network for delivering a call to the local switch. If the WOW! cable network is down, or the cable network in your home is not working, you will be unable to make or receive phone calls, regardless of whether or not there is power.

No! E911 service is a standard feature with WOW! Phone and included in all WOW! Phone packages. Your WOW! Phone number, name and address are provided to your local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) through an industry database so that if/when you call 911, you will be connected to your local PSAP immediately and the dispatcher can identify your name and address.

Basic 911 service is immediately available upon installation. That is, you may place 911 calls that will be routed to your local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) immediately. E911, the customer data including your name and address, however, may not be immediately available. In accordance with industry standards, this information is updated after customer installation. This is so the shared industry database is populated with the most accurate information possible.

Once WOW! sends the information to the industry database, it may take 24 to 48 hours for that database to update and get the information to the local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). This is the industry’s standard timeframe for updating 911 information when a customer changes phone providers. Regardless of whether you call 911 one day or one year after your installation, it is important to always identify yourself and your address to the 911 dispatcher.

Basic 911 service simply connects the caller to a local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). Although the call is connected to a dispatcher, the dispatcher may not have all of the caller’s information such as name or address. Enhanced 911 (E911) provides a data stream along with the call so that when a customer is connected to a PSAP, the dispatcher has the caller’s name and address for faster  response. Similar to major phone companies, WOW! Phone provides our users with E911 service.

Similar to major phone companies, WOW! Phone provides customers with E911 service so that when their call is connected to the local Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), their name and address will appear on the dispatcher’s screen.

Our Customer Care Representatives will enter your E911 information when you call to set up your WOW! Phone.  You can call us at 1-866-496-9669 at any time to confirm or change your information.

There are certain circumstances where E911 capabilities may not work.

If you move the modem or eMTA to another address without notifying WOW!, your 911 call may be routed to the wrong authorities and incorrect address information will be transmitted.  **IF YOU MOVE, YOU MUST CONTACT WOW! TO SCHEDULE A TIME TO MOVE YOUR SERVICES**

WOW! Phone services, including 911, will not work if service is interrupted for any reason including: failure of modem or eMTA, power outage at your home, outage of our network, or disconnection of your WOW! services due to non-payment.

WOW! will provide a battery backup to your modem which will provide you with up to four hours of additional standby power.  If the power outage last longer than the battery backup, you will be unable to place calls, including calls to 911.  **Phone usage while on the battery backup will impact the total backup time of the battery.**

It is important to remember that cordless phones will not work during a power outage so you may want to consider having one telephone that does not need to be plugged into an electrical outlet.

If you are moving and would like to transfer your WOW! services, please call us at 1-866-496-9669. 

If you move the modem or eMTA to another address without notifying WOW!, your 911 call may be routed to the wrong authorities and incorrect address information will be transmitted.  **IF YOU MOVE, YOU MUST CONTACT WOW! TO SCHEDULE A TIME TO MOVE YOUR SERVICES**

Yes, you will need to have a WOW! Digital receiver and Advanced or Essential Phone in order to receive Caller ID to TV. WOW! Digital receivers include all standard WOW! Digital Cable receivers, Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), High-Def receivers and HD/DVR receivers.  Caller ID to TV is included in all Digital Basic + Advanced Phone bundles. All other Digital Cable + Essential or Advanced Phone bundles can add Caller ID to TV for an a la carte charge of $2 a month.

Caller ID to TV is included in all Digital Basic + Advanced Phone bundles.  It is available a la carte for $2.00 per month to on all other Digital Cable + Essential or Advanced Phone bundles.

You must have a WOW! Digital receiver and Advanced Phone in order to receive Caller ID to TV. WOW! Digital receivers include all standard WOW! Digital Cable receivers, Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), High-Def receivers and HD/DVR receivers.

Caller ID to the TV is included in all WOW! Digital Basic + Advanced Phone bundles.  All other Digital Cable + Essential or Advanced Phone bundles can add Caller ID to TV for an a la carte charge of $2 a month. You must have a WOW! Digital receiver and Advanced or Essential Phone in order to receive Caller ID to TV. WOW! Digital receivers include all standard WOW! Digital Cable receivers, Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), High-Def receivers and HD/DVR receivers.

Yes, the flip bar notices will be displayed regardless of what line the call is coming in on. The Call Log will also capture calls from both lines. The flip bar notices and the Call Log will NOT identify which line the call is coming in on.

Yes, you will be able to deactivate one or both lines for Caller ID to TV by accessing the Settings section on Digital Cable channel 975.

Yes, calls coming in on a fax will appear with flip bar notices and also show up in the Call Log. You can deactivate the Caller ID to TV feature from your fax line in the Settings section on Digital Cable channel 975.

To access the Caller ID to TV settings, tune to channel 975.

Yes, Caller ID to TV flip bar notices will display over any programming, guides or menu screens, including DVR and WOW! OnDemand menus. Please note: if the flip bar notice appears during a program that’s being recorded (via DVR), it will not appear when you are viewing the recorded program later.

You will see the same information as you would on standard caller ID:

• “Private” or “P” if the caller has blocked the display of their phone number.
• “Unknown Number”, “out of area” or “O” if the caller is in an area that does not support Caller ID

No, flip bar notices will NOT display on screen while viewing a DVD or VHS cassette.

The Call Log will hold information on up to 10 calls. When the Call Log is full (has 10 calls listed), the next incoming call will delete the oldest logged call.

When the Call Log is full (has 10 calls listed), the next incoming call will delete the oldest call.

No, the Call Log will hold calls until they you delete them or they are deleted due to the Call Log being full.

The Standard Phone package includes unlimited incoming and 100 minutes of local, domestic long distance and Canada outbound calling per usage period. Calls in excess of the 100 minutes of included outbound calls will be billed at $0.5 per minute.

The following call types are included in the 100 minutes:

Local

Local Toll

Domestic Long Distance

Canada calls


All calls bill at $.05/minute after 100 minutes has been reached.

The following call types are always free:

911 emergency

Toll-free Voicemail access  (if applicable)

The following call types are NOT included in the 100 minutes, but are billed at normal rates:

International calls and NANP (North American numbering plan) - per minute rates apply for all calls

Operator and Directory Service calls

Collect calls

Other carrier charges

Yes, voicemail can be added a la carte.

No. Additional lines are not available with Standard Phone and Standard Phone is not available as a second line with other WOW! Phone services.

Standard Phone usage is available online through the WOW! Account Manager at http://portal.wowway.net. 

There is a 4 - 10 hour delay before dialed calls will show up on the usage meter.

With WOW! Advanced Phone, you'll receive long distance and local calling for one low monthly fee, with no restrictions or confusing call plans.  You'll also receive low rates for international calls.

With our Advanced Phone service, you'll receive unlimited long distance calling to the entire United States including Alaska and Hawaii, Canada and US Territories including Puerto Rico, Guam, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands and the US Virgin Islands.

To make a long distance call, simply dial 1 + area code + phone number.

The Advanced Phone calling plan includes unlimited long distance calling in the United States for one low monthly price, making it unnecessary to use a calling card from home. However, you may place calling card calls from your WOW! Phone. Charges will apply directly from the company through which you acquired your calling card, and will not appear on your WOW! Phone bill. WOW! does not offer a calling card connected with WOW! Phone Service

No, WOW! Phone does not offer calling cards.

Yes, but why would you?  With WOW! Advanced Phone, unlimited long distance is included in your plan.  And our Essential Phone package offers long distance calling for $0.05/minute.

You are receiving a separate long distance bill because you have selected a company other than WOW! as your long distance provider.  If you are a WOW! Phone customer and would like to make WOW! your long distance provider, call us at 1-866-496-9669.

Calls to Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, Hawaii, and Alaska are included for free as part of the unlimited local and long distance calling with WOW! Phone. Rates for calling other areas outside the United States vary depending on location. For a list of these rates click here.

To place an international call with WOW! follow the steps below:

For Canada and Caribbean countries:
1 + area code + local number

For Mexico:
011 + 52 + city code + local number (local numbers may be 7 or 8 digits)
*To call a mobile phone in Mexico, dial 011 + 52 + 1+ city code + local number

All other countries:
011 + country code + city code + local number

For a list of country codes, click here.

** You may notice a delay before the call connects when dialing and international phone number.  To avoid this delay, press "#" after dialing the number. **

Phone calls can be placed to mobile phone but the price per minute may be higher than if calling a landline phone in that country.  For international rates, click here.

Yes, calling cards will work when placing international calls with WOW! Phone.  However, if you are an Advanced or Essential Phone subscriber, you may find lower prices without using your calling card.  To see our international rates, click here.

If suspicious international charges appear on your bill, you may be the victim of a phone scam.  For more information about this phone scam, visit the Security section of our FAQs.

WOW! residential customers can have up to two phone lines to provide two separate phone numbers in the house.  The second line offers voice capabilities only (no video or internet) and works through the same eMTA modem you already have installed.  To sign up for a second line, contact us at 1-866-496-9669.

Yes, you can transfer your non-WOW! phone number to WOW!

You will have the option of adding voicemail to your second line.  It will be separate from the voicemail on your primary line and will have its own access number.

Yes, your second line can have a different directory listing than your primary line.

The National Do Not Call Registry was created by the federal government to make it easier and more efficient for you to stop getting telemarketing calls that you do NOT want.  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the individual states enforce the Do Not Call Registry.

Placing your number on the registry will stop most, but not all, telemarketing calls.  The FTC and most states allow companies an exemption to call phone numbers on the Registry when the companies have an existing business relationship with the owner of the phone number.  Calls from or on behalf of political organizations, charities and telephone surveyors are still permitted.

To register for the Do Not Call Registry, visit http://www.donotcall.gov/ or call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) toll-free from the number you wish to register.

You can register online or over the phone. 

To register your phone number online, visit www.DONOTCALL.gov.  You must have a valid email address to sign up online.

To register over the phone, call 1-888-382-1222 (TTY 1-866-290-4236) from the phone number that you wish to register.

Your phone number will appear in the registry by the next day.  However, telemarketers have up to 31 days after you sign up to stop calling you.

Placing your number on the registry will stop most, but not all, telemarketing calls.

The FTC and most states allow companies an exemption to call phone numbers on the Registry when the companies have an existing business relationship with the owner of the phone number.  Calls from or on behalf of political organizations, charities and telephone surveyors are still permitted.

WOW! is not able to register customers for the National Do Not Call Registry.  If you are transferring (porting) your phone number from another provider to WOW! and have previously signed up for the Registry, you will not need to do anything.  If you will be receiving a new phone number from WOW! you will be able to register once your phone service has been installed.

Contact your alarm company prior to your WOW! Phone installation with the date and time of your install.  Your alarm company will arrange to check the status of your alarm after we have completed our installation to ensure that it is working properly.

WOW! provides a battery back-up for your phone system in the case of a power outage.  This will provide you with up to four hours of phone use so your alarm should continue to operate for that time.

However, if your phone service is interrupted due to a cable outage or downed cable lines, you phone service and alarm system will not work.

WOW! Phone supports most modern home alarm systems, including ADT. Please check with your alarm company to ask if the alarm system is based on touch tone dialing or pulse dialing.  Security systems based on pulse dialing are NOT compatible with WOW! Phone.  Alarm systems based on touch tone dialing are most likely compatible with our phone service.

Yes.  Please notify your home alarm provider of your new number to update your account and contact information.

Some (but not all) security companies may request that you purchase additional equipment or services.  Your alarm company may also charge extra for any additional equipment or service.  Contact your home alarm company for more details.

Our service technicians will connect your security system on the day of install but you are responsible for contacting your alarm company to test connectivity and service after the install.

Yes.  Phone scams can happen with any phone carrier and any phone service, including your wireless phone.

If you think that you have been the victim of a phone scam or see unusual charges on your bill, contact WOW! immediately at 1-866-496-9669.

You should also consider contacting your local authorities, your state Attorney General's office and the Federal Trade Commission. Most Attorney Generals' offices have divisions that deal primarily with consumer protection issues. Check the government section of your phone book or contact your local or state consumer office for the phone number and address of your state Attorney General's office. You can also link to the websites of the Attorney Generals' offices of many states from the National Association of Attorneys General website.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. 

Cramming refers to unexplained charges on your phone bill for services you never ordered, authorized, received, or used. Sometimes a one-time charge for entertainment services will be crammed onto your phone bill. Other times, monthly recurring charges are crammed onto your phone bill.

Cramming of monthly recurring charges falls into two general categories: club memberships, such as psychic clubs, personal clubs, or travel clubs; and telecommunications products or service programs, such as voicemail, paging, and calling cards. Most of these scams occur through the use of an 800 number. Others are initiated by contests or sweepstakes. They are all deceptive, and you should dispute the charges.

For more information about cramming, visit these sites:

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cramming.pdf

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/products/pro18.shtm

http://www.fcc.gov/cib/consumerfacts/cramming.html

To help yourself avoid cramming scams, remember these tips:

• Check your phone bill every month for unfamiliar charges. Sometimes, a call placed to a toll-free number may be fraudulently billed as a 900 number, collect call, or international call. Also, calls to information and entertainment providers in foreign countries may not be described as such. They may be listed as ordinary international toll calls or calling card calls.
• Examine your phone bill for recurring monthly charges. These charges typically appear as "Miscellaneous Charges and Credits." They may be so small, or described in such general terms, that they're easy to overlook or to confuse with valid services you may have ordered from another provider. Watch for fees described as "Min. Use Fee," "Activation," "Member Fee," "Voice Mail," or some similar phrase. If you find an error on your bill, call WOW! at 1-866-496-9669 to obtain information on the source of the charges. You will be provided with the name and telephone number of the company in question.  Follow up any phone conversations with a letter, sent by certified mail, return receipt requested. That's your proof that the company received your letter. Keep a copy for your files.
• Be aware that your local telephone company may bill for services provided by other companies. Your monthly WOW! statement may include charges for long distance telephone calls, information or entertainment services accessed through 900 numbers or presubscription agreements, club memberships, and non-basic telecommunications services like voicemail or paging.
• With the right technology, companies can get your phone number when you call them, using a process similar to caller ID. Once they have your number, an unscrupulous company can cram charges onto your phone bill. What's more, since this technology can automatically bill the phone number that is called from, other people using your phone can cause charges to be billed to your phone.
• Carefully read the fine print before you fill out contest forms, especially if they ask for your phone number. Likewise, read the fine print before you place a call in response to a sweepstakes promotion.
• Be cautious about calling unfamiliar 800 numbers. Be especially wary if you're told to enter codes, leave your name, or answer "yes" to prompts. Unscrupulous entertainment providers may use this ruse to send you a bill.
• 900 numbers cost money, even if you're calling to claim a "free" prize.*  All 900 numbers that cost more than $2 must give you a brief introductory message about the service, the service provider, and the cost of the call. You have three seconds after the message ends to hang up without being charged.

*900 and 976 numbers are automatically blocked by WOW! when you sign up for service.  Blocks are also available for long distance and international calling.  To block additional types of calls or to unblock 900 and 976 numbers, contact WOW! at 1-496-866-9669.

Unauthorized switching of a customer's telephone service is called slamming. The customer's phone service is changed from their regular telephone carrier to another company without the customer's knowledge or consent. The outcome is the customer unwittingly paying for telephone services that were never ordered. Long distance service is the most common target of slamming, but it can also happen with local or local-toll service.

A variety of deceptive tactics are used to slam customers. These include misusing a customer's agreement to participate in an offer or outright frauds such as falsified or forged change orders. Orders to change long distance carriers would be submitted to the local telephone carrier by the fraudulent company, and the local carrier would make the switch. Only a name, zip code and phone number are required for slamming to occur. Neither a signature nor any evidence of consent would need to be obtained for switching.

To learn more about slamming, visit http://www.fcc.gov/slamming/.

To prevent yourself from becoming the victim of slamming, follow these tips:

• Read the fine print carefully to make sure there is no agreement to unwittingly switch the phone service. If the company offers a check to get you to switch, the check must state clearly on the front and on the back, in the signature area, that you are agreeing to change your service.
• Request a "freeze" on the long distance and local services. This means that no changes will take place unless the local carrier receives a request from the new service provider in writing that confirms you have agreed to the change.
• Don't return calls to numbers on your answering machine or caller ID that are not recognizable. You could be dialing a number that results in switching the phone service without realizing it.
• Read your telephone bill carefully and question any unrecognizable charges. Bills must contain the name and logo of any company whose charges are appearing on the bill. Often the first clues that your number has been slammed are the rate, which will be higher than what you are used to seeing.
• Verbally decline any telemarketer offer if you do not wish to change their services, or if you are unfamiliar with the company or the services offered. Verbal request for change of services are submitted to a 3rd Party Verification (3PV) service. The 3PV service will record the conversation and verify that the person calling does indeed want to select a new long distance carrier or in some way change their service(s).
• If the slamming has occurred, notifyWOW! and ask to be switched back. You will usually not have to pay for the first 30 days of service from the slammer.

The scam occurs when you receive a call/message instructing you to dial 1172 + the area code + the phone number. The call/message (and in some cases, a recording) usually advises to call the number ASAP to speak with emergency services. By dialing 1172, you are enabling the call forwarding feature on your phone. This allows an unknown party to receive all of your calls. The unknown party may then authorize collect calls, which will be billed to you.

If you believe that you have been a victim of the call forwarding scam, dial *73 (or 1173) to disable call forwarding and the scam will stop.  You should also contact WOW! at 1-866-496-9669.

It's not always easy to tell if you're dialing an international telephone number.  In most cases, you have to dial 011 to begin a call to a foreign country.  However, there are locations outside the U.S. where telephone numbers may look like domestic long distance calls, but are actually international calls and international rates apply.  For example, 809, 284, and 876 are area codes in the Caribbean.

There are many scams that deceive consumers into calling international numbers.  You may see an ad for a service that directs you to call a specific number, or you may receive an email message or an "urgent" message on your answering machine.  All messages direct you to call a number for more information - almost always an international number.

Be cautious about making calls to area codes you don't recognize.  Check your telephone directory to determine where the area code is before making your call.  Control access to your telephone so that unauthorized callers do not use your phone to call these services.  A block on calls to 900 services will not stop calls to 011 (international destinations) or 809 numbers.  If you're sure you won't need to make international calls, call WOW! to place an international block on your telephone line.  Please be aware that calls to international numbers that have a 3-digit area code (such as 809 numbers) cannot be blocked.

To learn more about this phone scam, visit http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/809.html.

Scammers have been using new phone technology to manipulate caller IDs and to make customers believe that the call originated from a legitimate company's phone system.  Scammers have also started using text messaging, instant messaging, and blogs to send unsolicited commercial emails.

Always be extra cautious when giving out personal information over the telephone.

To learn more about Caller ID Spoofing, visit http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/callerid.html