Frontier Communications customers who have fiber internet and have had their phone service migrated to an internet-based format have been asked by the company to accept the terms of that format for future use.
Fiber internet customers were pressed in the last month to accept the new terms of service where their residential phones are tied to Frontier’s internet.
Customers with new Frontier phone service in most cases are provided a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) – residential phone service that comes into a home on Frontier’s internet pathway.
The first portion of Frontier’s new terms of service addresses how the internet-based format can be affected by power outages and internet service interruptions.
The terms outline “the limitations of 911 calling over the service and the distinctions between 911 service using the service and 911 service over traditional wireline telephone service,” Frontier’s documents say.
“Frontier makes no warranty that access to 911 will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free or battery backup will be sufficient to maintain the Service throughout any and/or all power outages,” the company states.
Phone service, the company points out, will not work when the power is out or electricity is unavailable through other means. That includes 911 emergency calls.
Traditional “landline” telephone service will work when the power is out. Frontier no longer offers that kind of phone service in Morgan County, company officials have said.
“The Service may be provided to you over a broadband (Internet Protocol or “IP”) network. If there is a broadband network outage, the Service will not function and you will not be able to make 911 calls,” Frontier has told their customers.
The company also points out that customers won’t be able to call 911 on their home phones if service is suspended due to lack of payment.
Other terms of service cover international calling, auto dialing and compatibility with security alarms and other home devices.
The terms of service change comes as the phone and internet company continues to expand fiber broadband services throughout Morgan County and the surrounding area.
