WELCOME TO. Westman Home Phone. PHONE FAQ s

WELCOME TO Westman Home Phone PHONE FAQ s

GENERAL Westman Home Phone FAQs GENERAL... 1 911 EMERGENCY SERVICE... 3 INSTALLATION & OPERATION... 3 LONG DISTANCE & CALLING CARDS... 4 VOICEMAIL... 5 TV CALLER ID... 6 PHONE TROUBLESHOOTING... 7 What is Westman Home Phone service? Westman Home Phone service is residential telephone service. It travels over Westman s secure network and connects to the public telephone network. Who can get Westman Home Phone? Currently Westman Home Phone Service is being offered to residents of Brandon, Dauphin, Shilo, Carberry, Minnedosa and Neepawa. Westman Communications Group may offer this service to other communities in the future. Will I really save money with Westman Home Phone? Yes, we have lower prices and you can increase the savings by bundling your Westman Home Phone with either Westman TV or High Speed Internet. Do I have to sign a contract? No. Do I require other Westman services to get Westman Home Phone service? No, you can order Westman Home Phone service at any time, regardless of whether you have our Internet or TV services. However, if you bundle your Westman TV or Internet services with our Home Phone service, you will save $10 every month. With TV, Internet and Phone, the bigger your savings! Can I keep my existing number? Yes, you can keep your MTS number. It s simple to transfer your existing phone number and we take care of all of the details. Why should I switch? I ve never had any problems with MTS. Westman Home Phone offers significant savings over MTS on local service, plus even more significant savings on second lines, calling features and long distance. Can I change my phone number? Can I pick a specific, new number? No, there is a limited selection available to us. Can I get an unlisted number? A $2.00 per month charge will apply. Can I have all the phones in my home connected to Westman Home Phone? Westman Home Phone can be connected to all your working jacks and telephones, except rotary dial phones. Do you charge a network access fee for long distance, as MTS does? No, Westman does not charge any service or access fees. Can I still use Operator Services or Directory Assistance to help find a phone number? Yes and there is a $1.00 fee per inquiry. Can I receive collect calls with Westman Home Phone? No, but we do have calling cards. 1

What is the benefit of getting both local and a long distance phone service from Westman? Westman Home Phone provides you with unlimited local calling and we also offer several, inexpensive Long Distance plans. If you get both our local and long distance service, you can place calls anywhere across the United States and Canada for just one, low, monthly price. How is Westman Home Phone service different from what I have with my current local provider? In many ways, the service functions the same. What s different is the quality, price and packaging of our service. Westman Home Phone service is digital, so our customers receive a better, clearer connection. Westman also has many free features included in their local Home Phone service, including these highly popular features: Call waiting, Visual Call Waiting (With Caller ID), Call Number Display, Call Name Display, Priority Ring,Voicemail, Call Forwarding and TV Caller ID (if you have Westman Digital TV). In addition, there are no extra fees charges, like network access fees, long distance plan fees or E911 fees. And Westman Home Phone is just $26.95 a month when bundled with our TV or High Speed Internet. What s involved in switching phone providers? Just call us; we ll do the rest. We ll contact your old phone company and handle all the details. On the installation date, our professional, licensed installer will come to your home and install Westman s telephone hardware, connecting it to existing phone wiring in your home and then to our network. Do I need to contact my current phone provider to make arrangements to switch services? No. If you wish to switch to Westman but keep the same phone number you have with your current provider, with your authorization, Westman will take care of all the details for you. What should I do if my old phone company calls me? If your old phone company calls to try to sway you back, remember that you switched for a reason. We value your business, and your complete satisfaction is important to us. Call us if your old phone company calls you, and we can help to ensure that you have the best products and services for your needs, with Westman. Will I still receive a free phone book every year and have a directory listing in the phone book? Yes, and you will still have a listing in the residential section of the White Pages in the same phone book you are currently listed in. Are seasonal disconnection/reconnection services available? Yes, Westman offers convenient temporary disconnect/reconnect services for customers who are away from their regular residences for extended periods of time. Is there a fee to switch to Westman Home Phone? No. 2 Do you offer Teen Ring? Yes, we call it Distinctive Ring. What is Distinctive Ring? You can have up to three additional phone numbers ($5.00/number) that all ring on your existing phone line. Great for teenagers, other family members or to distinguish your fax machine. With distinctive ring you also get all the same features of your basic service. Does Distinctive Ring get Voicemail? Calls on Distinctive Ring will default to the primary Voicemail at no extra charge. We do offer individual Voicemail accounts for $5.00 a month. 911 EMERGENCY SERVICE Is there a charge for 911 calling? No, there is no charge. Can I call 911 using Westman Home Phone? Is 911 active the minute my Westman Home Phone service is installed? Yes, our phone service fully supports 911, and 911 services are immediately available upon installation What s the difference between 911 and E911 service? Dialing 911 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, Westman Home Phone provides our customers with E911 service. INSTALLATION & OPERATION Do I need a special phone for Westman Home Phone service? There is no additional equipment to buy as long as you own a telephone in your home. Please be aware that while there is no additional charge for the Caller ID feature, you must already own or purchase Caller ID display equipment or a phone with Caller ID built in. Can I still use my existing phone jacks and wiring? Yes, you can. The existing telephone wiring inside your home will operate just as it always has. Do I need to be home for the installation? How long will it take for Westman Home Phone to be installed? A typical installation takes approximately 60-90 minutes. 3

Should I disconnect my current home phone service before Westman Home Phone is installed? No. Once our installation is complete and your phone number is successfully transferred, we will contact your current phone service provider to ensure your previous phone service is disconnected. Will I hear a difference in quality using Westman Home Phone service? Westman Home Phone service is digital, so our customers receive a better, clearer connection. Do I need a computer to get Westman Home Phone service? No. Can I make a call and watch TV at the same time? Will my Caller ID display work with Westman Home Phone? Will my monitored security system work with Westman Home Phone service? Will my fax machine work with Westman Home Phone? Will my answering machine work with Westman Home Phone? Can I use my computer while I talk on the phone? What if I move? Can I move my Westman Home Phone service to my new home? Yes, provided you stay within the communities which receive our service. A technician will come to your home to install the same services that you previously had. Can I order more than one phone line with Westman Home Phone? LONG DISTANCE & CALLING CARDS Does Westman provide any long distance plans? Westman offers three anytime day or night monthly plans for North America including Alaska and Hawaii: the 100-minute plan for $4.95, the 300-minute plan for $9.95 and an unlimited minute plan for $13.95. What is the cost per long distance call if I do not have a plan or go over my plan minutes? The cost is seven cents a minute for North America, including Alaska and Hawaii. However, International long distance rates vary subject to the country you are calling. 4 Do I need to contact my current long distance provider to cancel my long distance with them? If it is someone other than MTS then you do need to notify them. Otherwise, we will look after notification to MTS with your authorization. Does Westman have calling cards? Charges are automatically applied to your Westman phone bill at applicable long distance rates If you are unsure what the rate will be please call our office. Can I get additional cards? VOICEMAIL Does Westman Home Phone offer Voicemail? Voicemail service is included in the local service package. How do I know if I have a message? If there are new messages, you will hear a stutter tone, prior to hearing the normal dial tone. Also, depending on the type of phone you own, the message waiting light on your phone will either flash or illuminate. How can I setup my Voicemail to play the message before the header (time, date & originating number of call)? You can change the Voicemail settings so that the header is not played. Note: This option does eliminate the ability to get header information to determine when a call came in. This is accomplished by the following procedure. 1. Log into Voicemail (*99 from your home phone, or 717-msgs from another provider) 2. Press 4 to Change your Settings 3. Press 2 to enter Hands free and Time Saver Options 4. Press 3 to change Voicemail Preferences 5. To switch the playback of the message headers on or off press 1 6. Press 1 to confirm the change or press * to cancel. You will then hear one of the following prompts, only the body of Voicemails will be played, or both the header and body of Voicemails will be played. Can I setup my Voicemail to play messages automatically when I log into Voicemail? This is accomplished by turning on a feature called Voicemail Autoplay. 1. Log into Voicemail (*99 from your home phone, or 717-msgs from another provider) 2. Press 4 to enter Change your Settings 3. Press 2 to enter Hands free and Time Saver Options 4. Press 1 to change your Autoplay settings 5. Press 1 to select Voicemail messages. 6. Press 1 to cycle autoplay on or off your changes or * to cancel changes. You will then hear one of the following prompts, new Voicemail messages will now be played back automatically or new Voicemail messages will now not be played back automatically. 5

I don t want to have to enter my PIN from my home phone, how can I do this? This is accomplished by the following procedure. Note: If you are not accessing Voicemail from your home phone you will be asked for your PIN. 1. Log into Voicemail (*99 from your home phone, or 717-msgs from another provider) 2. Press 4 to enter mailbox settings 3. Press 3 to enter Security Options 4. Press 3 to Change your skip pin feature 5. Press 1 to switch whether a pin is required or not or press * to cancel any changes. You will then hear one of the following prompts, you will no longer need to enter a pin when calling from your own phone or you will always have to enter a pin even when calling from your own phone. What if I don t record a greeting? If a personal greeting or voice signature is not recorded for the Voicemail box, then the standard greeting will be used. What messaging information is available? Date and time of message, urgent and private message classifications, an announcement detailing the number of messages being held. How many rings until my Voicemail answers the call? Voicemail will answer the call after the fourth ring. How much storage space do I have with Westman Home Phone Voicemail? The basic service will include up to 30 messages with 7-day storage. Any given message will be no larger than 60 seconds. Each personal greeting is limited to two minutes in length and does not detract from the mailbox size for incoming messages. How long will I have to access to my Voicemail messages? As long as you continue to re-save a message within the 7-day window, you will have access to it for an indefinite amount of time. TV CALLER ID Does Westman Home Phone have TV Caller ID? How can I get it? The name and number of a caller is displayed on the TV screen and is available for no cost if a customer has Digital TV with us. You will need a Westman Digital terminal in order to receive TV Caller ID. Westman Digital terminals include all standard terminals, Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), and High Definition terminals. What appears on the TV Caller ID if the incoming call is from a blocked phone line? You will see the same information as you would on standard caller ID: Private if the caller has blocked the display of their phone number and Unknown Number if the caller is in an area that does not support Caller ID. Does TV Caller ID work if I have two phones lines? Yes, but you will not be able to identify which line the call is coming in on. You will be able to activate or deactivate one or both lines. If my second line is connected to a fax machine will the TV Caller ID still work? Will I see the TV Caller ID while watching a DVD, a VHS or Video On Demand selection? Or over the Program Guide (i-guide)? No you will not see it while watching a DVD, a VHS, Pay Per View, Video On Demand, listening to Galaxie Music or if you are using the guide but you will see all the TV Caller IDs over any programming. PHONE TROUBLESHOOTING What happens if the power goes out? The advanced Digital Phone modem that supports Westman Home Phone has a back-up battery that lasts for up to 12 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 any cordless phone or any phone that is plugged into an electrical outlet will not have power during a power outage. It is recommended that you have at least one corded phone in your home for emergency calling if the power goes out. What do I do if my telephone doesn t have a dial tone? Try the following: 1. If you re using a cordless phone, check that both the handset and base have power. 2. Check to make sure that your phone cord is connected to the wall jack. 3. If you re able to access your Digital Phone modem, verify that it has power. 4. If you re able to access your Digital Phone modem, check to make sure that the phone line connecting your home s telephone wiring to the Digital Phone modem is securely plugged into the wall jack. 5. If you need further assistance, please contact Technical Support at 725-4300 ext. 2806. What do I do if one phone has a dial tone, but my other phone doesn t? Try the following: 1. If it s a cordless phone without a dial tone, check that both the handset and base have power. 2. Verify that the phone cord is securely plugged into the wall jack and the base. 3. Unplug the phone without the dial tone and plug your other, working phone into the same jack. 4. If it works, the problem is likely with the other phone; if it doesn t, there may be a problem with that jack. If it s the jack, call Technical Support at 725-4300 ext. 2806. 6 7

1906 Park Avenue, Brandon, Manitoba R7B 0R9 204-725-4300 or 1-800-665-3337 westmancom.com