Cox switching customers to in-home phone devices

By John Howell
Posted 5/24/16

By JOHN HOWELL Warwick and West Warwick Cox customers with devices on the exterior of their homes for home service are being told to call the company to schedule an upgrade in technology that will take about an hour and give them a new device that plugs

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Cox switching customers to in-home phone devices

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Warwick and West Warwick Cox customers with devices on the exterior of their homes for home service are being told to call the company to schedule an upgrade in technology that will take about an hour and give them a new device that plugs into a wall outlet.

There is no charge associated with the change, although if customers want to add a battery backup for their landline, that will be available for a one-time charge of $29.99.

The Warwick and West Warwick upgrades, explained Eric Wagner, area director of communications for Cox, are part of a pilot program that will be rolled out to all landline Cox customers across the country. Cox has six million customers nationwide, he said.

“This is a necessary upgrade,” he said.

Letters went out to Warwick and West Warwick customers late last month. Wagner said reminder letters would go out if they don’t receive a call to schedule an appointment, and if there is still no contact, customers would get a “soft dial tone.” He said customers would be able to place 9-1-1 emergency calls, but that would be it.

Wagner didn’t get into the technology of the upgrade, only to say those customers with exterior connections have an “antiquated way of delivering the voice package.” He said the change “is kind of irrelevant to the customers,” as the phone service won’t change.

As described in the letter, the device plugs into any convenient electrical outlet, which Wagner said would be in proximity to the Cox wire now entering the residence. The device is described as an “Internet and telephone modem which will support your Cox digital telephone service as well as your Internet service if you subscribe to Cox High Speed Internet.” Wagner said the upgrade wouldn’t require changes in home handsets.

As for scheduling an appointment, customers are asked to call 855-403-3790 Monday through Sunday between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

“We’re making an attempt to be as flexible as possible,” Wagner said when asked if appointments would be scheduled on weekends and later in the day to accommodate those working. Also, he said technicians would be looking to make the transition of equipment with as little disruption as possible.

Wagner said battery backups provide eight hours of standby service. Output for a fully charged battery would depend on usage. As for the projected lifetime of the battery, Wagner put that at five years.

As the case with modems when a customer leaves Cox, the device belongs to the company and would need to be returned.

“This is our first step,” Wagner said when asked what he meant by a pilot program. He said the company would closely monitor the conversion and using the experience in Warwick and West Warwick to extend the program to other customers in the state and eventually throughout the system.

According to the letter, there will be a brief loss in service while the work is being performed that will “impact your ability to use medical devices, alarms and other equipment that uses telephone service to operate.” Also, at the time the work is being done, someone over the age of 18 will need to be home.

Additional information is available at cox.com/updatemyphone.

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