Common Home Phone Questions

• What features are included with home phone service? What features are included with home phone service?

  Home phone with Go Local Plus includes 13 great features such as Anonymous Call Block, Caller ID, Call Waiting, Three-Way Calling, Speed Calling, Call Block, Buys Redial, Call Return, Select Call Forwarding, Call Forwarding, Priority Call, Distinctive Ring, and Do Not Disturb.

• How do I stop telemarketing calls? How do I stop telemarketing calls?

  Sometimes, your Caller ID may display your own name or number when a telemarketer is calling. Some solicitors use a type of phone system that does this so that they can disguise their identity. If you would like to stop telemarketers from calling your home phone number, please contact the National Do Not Call List at 1-888-382-1222, or visit www.DoNotCall.gov.

• What should I do if my phone number has been incorrectly identified as Spam? What should I do if my phone number has been incorrectly identified as Spam?

  In some cases, phone numbers that place a high volume of outbound calls—including customer service or outreach lines, may be mistakenly labeled as “Spam” by phone providers following the TRACED Act. When this occurs, your Caller ID may display labels such as “Spam,” “Telemarketing,” or similar, even though the calls are legitimate.

  
  

  To request removal of a Spam flag from the called party’s provider, locate the appropriate provider below and submit your request through their designated website. If the provider is not listed, please visit the free caller registry website to register your number.

  
  

  Caller ID Spam Vendor List

  • AT&T
  • AT&T Mobile
  • Bandwidth
  • Lumen (formerly CenturyLink)
  • Comcast
  • Frontier Communications, Email: nospam@ftr.com
  • Inteliquent
  • Sprint
  • T-Mobile
  • US Cellular
  • Verizon
  • Verizon Wireless
• What is Battery Back-Up and how does it work? What is Battery Back-Up and how does it work?

  Hawaiian Telcom is proud to provide landline voice services to our customers over our Next Generation Fiber Optic network, which requires commercial electrical power to operate. This means that in the event of a commercial power outage, phone service will not operate unless customers purchase a battery back-up system. The battery back-up system will allow the phone to operate for up to 4, 8 or 24 hours (depending on the Battery Backup System you have) so that you can make 911 calls if necessary.

  
  

  If you have a battery back-up system from us, and currently have it operating in your home, use this information as a reminder of the capabilities of the battery. If you do not have a back-up system, we want you to know about your back-up options regarding your service.

  
  

  Effective February 13, 2019, the Federal Communications Commission required telecommunications companies to offer customers the option to buy a battery back-up system that operates for up to 8 or 24 hours during a commercial power outage. You are not required to purchase an additional battery back-up system, however, we want you to know what your options are:

  • You can choose not to install a battery back-up for your telephone service. This means your Hawaiian Telcom phone service will not operate during a power outage, and you won't be able to make phone calls – including calls to 911 emergency services.
    
    
  • You may purchase an 8-hour battery backup system for $99 or a 24-hour battery backup system for $150, plus an installation charge of $30.50. The battery back-up system will provide up to 8 or 24 hours (depending on the battery back-up system you have) of access to our telephone network during a commercial power outage. If you use a cordless phone, the battery back-up system will not provide power for your cordless phone. Proper usage and storage information as well as recommended testing and monitoring instructions for the battery back-up will be provided at the time of installation. If you’re interested in purchasing a battery back-up system from Hawaiian Telcom, call 808-643-3456.
    
    
  • You may purchase your own battery back-up system from an alternate provider which is compatible with Hawaiian Telcom phone service.

  
  

  Q1. Are customers required to obtain a battery back-up equipment for their voice service?

  Customers are not required to obtain battery back-up equipment for their voice service.

  
  

  Q2. I have a wireless phone. Do I still need battery back-up for my home phone?

  Please talk to your wireless carrier about the ability of your phone to operate in the event of a commercial power outage.

  
  

  Q3. What will Hawaiian Telcom connect to the battery back-up equipment?

  Your Optical Network Terminal (ONT) will be connected to the battery back-up equipment. This will enable the fiber optic service to your home to continue to operate and allow you to make 911 phone calls during a commercial power outage.

  
  

  Q4. Will the battery back-up equipment also keep my Internet and TV services up and running?

  The battery back-up equipment that Hawaiian Telcom installed in your home will only provide phone service to your home during a commercial power outage. TV and internet service is not supported to allow maximum battery life for emergency phone calls.

  
  

  Q5. Will my cordless phone operate if there’s a commercial power outage?

  Your cordless phone will not operate during a commercial power outage as it requires electricity to work. Be sure to keep a corded phone available and plug it into a phone jack in your home.  Your battery back-up equipment will only enable a corded phone during a commercial power outage.

  
  

  Q6. Can I provide back-up for my Wireless Gateway and cordless phone?

  You can check Costco, Best Buy, or other electronics store for a UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply). Since UPS’s have batteries inside, online stores like Amazon will not ship to Hawaii. Check with the vendor on the price of UPS equipment.

  
  

  Q7. Should I monitor the battery back-up equipment? If so, how do I test it?

  The back-up battery system includes an LED display that indicates the status of the battery.
  
  
  

  Q8. How long can I make phone calls when the battery back-up system is in use?

  Depending on which battery back-up system you have, it will provide either 4, 8 or 24-hours to your phone service depending on frequency and length of calls that are made when commercial power is lost. Battery life will be less if frequent, non-essential calls of long duration are placed during a commercial power outage.

  
  

  Q9. I’m no longer using my battery back-up equipment, how do I dispose of it?

  If you want to discontinue the use of the battery back-up equipment that was installed when you ordered your service, you can call 808-643-6111 to have a Hawaiian Telcom technician disconnect and remove the battery back-up equipment.

  
  

  The battery inside the backup system should not be discarded in the garbage. For information about how to dispose of a used battery, visit opala.org and go to the eWaste section for instructions on proper disposal of electronic waste.

  
  

  Q10. I declined the Hawaiian Telcom battery back-up equipment when I ordered my voice service but would now like to order. Can I still order this equipment?

  You can order the battery back-up equipment after your voice service was installed but you will incur an additional charge to dispatch a Hawaiian Telcom technician to your home.

  
  

  Q11. I have a security system installed in my home. Will Hawaiian Telcom’s battery back-up equipment back-up my security system?

  Hawaiian Telcom’s battery back-up equipment will not provide back-up power for your security system. You will need to check with your security system provider on what type of back-up they are providing you when commercial power is lost. If your security system uses Hawaiian Telcom’s phone to call in an alarm, the battery back-up equipment will be providing phone service for your security system during a commercial power outage.

  
  

  Q12. I have a Precision Power battery backup from Hawaiian Telcom and I would like to purchase a replacement battery. Where do I order one from? 

  Customers can order directly from Precision Power’s website and have replacement batteries (Micro UPS Battery Module Only PP36L-12EX) shipped directly to their home for $80 each. Shipping is included. Customers can pay with a credit card through Precision Power’s website, call +1 (270) 776-9903 to pay over the phone or email sales@precisionpwr.net.

  
  

  Q13. Is it true that the Precision Power 8-hour and 24-hour batteries come with a 5 year battery warranty policy?

  Yes, for customers who purchased a Precision Power battery backup unit from Hawaiian Telcom after 2/13/19, there is a 5-year manufacturer warranty from manufactured date of the serial number. For warranty information, customers should contact precisionsales@precisionpwr.net directly. Because Precision Power will be handling replacement battery management going forward, Hawaiian Telcom will no longer offer a 1-year warranty on battery replacements for either the 8 or 24-hour battery backup and will no longer carry replacement batteries locally.

   

  Q14. What type of batter is used in the Battery Backup?
  Battery back-up units from Hawaiian Telcom use Lithium-ion batteries.