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ALLTEL proposes merger with CenturyTel
CenturyTel offers DSL service in Friday Harbor
New phone services available
posted 12/07/01
Tracing calls just became easier in San Juan County. CenturyTel has activated new services. Call Trace (*57) can be used to initiate a trace after receiving an offensive call. The phone company will create a record of the call, if the customer dials *57 and follows the instructions after hanging up from the call. The record can then be subpoenaed by law enforcement agencies.
Last Call Return (*69) service is now available. This feature redials the last incoming call. CenturyTel Area Supervisor Bob Jarman said this service is useful in combatting telemarketers. Use *69 to call back the telemarketer and tell them to remove your name from their list.
The services are available on all phones. Customers pay a fee only when they use them.
New Telephone Switch Installation Complete
posted 11/10/01
Major telephone network enhancements for the San Juan Islands are now complete, and CenturyTel staff continues to monitor the new telephone system that was deployed in early November.
"We are now at the level of technology to offer advanced telecommunication service to the Islands," said CenturyTel's Area Supervisor Bob Jarman. "The new equipment, which will accommodate growth in access lines and increased telephone use on the Islands, represents an investment of more than $4.3 million by CenturyTel," he said.
"Overall, the cutover to the new switch was executed as planned," Jarman said. "We did encounter several issues after the installation that now have been resolved," he added. "We appreciate the patience of customers who experienced problems after the installation was completed."
Jarman went on to say that the new switch will accommodate increased telephone use during the peak tourist seasons on the Islands and has also expanded the functionality of Caller ID to local subscribers. More incoming out-of-area numbers are now displayed for Caller ID users.
Corrective measures have been completed to remedy problems with voice mail and long distance dialing. CenturyTel Voice Mail customers did experience problems clearing their "stutter" dial tone after checking their messages, and some long distance calls were disconnecting before the conversation was completed.
A number of calling features do work differently in the new switch, including:
- The Call Forwarding activate and deactivate codes have changed. Subscribers should use *72/*73 to activate/deactivate this feature instead of #72 and #73. The #72 and #73 commands are currently working for a limited period of time, but CenturyTel encourages subscribers to switch to the industry standard codes. In addition, Call Forwarding customers in Friday Harbor now hear a traditional dial tone when this feature is activated instead of a special tone.
- Customers utilizing Remote Access Call Forwarding should use only the first four digits on their PIN to activate this service. In the past, a five-digit number was utilized. If a new PIN is needed, users should call the CenturyTel Customer Contact Center at 1-800-550-8110.
- Voice Mail customers in Friday Harbor now hear a traditional dial tone on their line instead of the special tone they heard in the past.
- The "home intercom" or "revert dialing" feature which allows users to call other extensions in their home is no longer available.
If CenturyTel customers do experience a service problem, they should contact the Repair Center by dialing 6-1-1 or, if out of the area or using a cellular phone, 1-800-533-4171.
Telephone switch deployment
will temporarily disrupt service
posted 10/27/01
Major telephone network enhancements for the San Juan Islands are in the final stages of completion as CenturyTel approaches its turn-on date of Wednesday, Nov. 7.
Customers will experience a brief interruption in service during the early morning hours of Wednesday, Nov. 7, from approximately 12 midnight to 1:30 a.m. (Tuesday night-early Wednesday morning) as the cutover to the new equipment is underway. The time of the interruption in service will vary; dial tone will be reinstated to customers in segments until the entire area is in service. Dial tone to all customers on the Islands should be restored during the 90-minute period. The service interruption will also affect local cellular calls. This upgrade had originally been set for late September but was rescheduled to allow for additional testing.
The new equipment will accommodate growth in access lines and increased telephone use in this CenturyTel service area, which includes some 15,000 residential and business customers on the San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, Blakely, Decatur and Shaw Islands. This equipment upgrade represents an investment of more than $4.3 million by CenturyTel to offer state-of-the-art telecommunication services to the Islands.
Bob Jarman, CenturyTel's area supervisor, explains that 911 service and other critical areas will be monitored as a priority. "CenturyTel personnel will be in close communications with the Sheriff's Department dispatch personnel to ensure that service is restored to these areas as soon as possible," he added.
This equipment upgrade will affect customers using Voice Mail and Call Forwarding services:
- Customers with CenturyTel Voice Mail who received messages before the upgrade will need to call the voice mail system access number to check for messages. The "stutter" dial tone or message waiting light indicator alerting users to messages will be disconnected during the conversion. This stutter dial tone or message waiting light will be reinstated for messages received after the upgrade. In addition, Voice Mail customers in Friday Harbor will hear a traditional dial tone on their line instead of the tone they have heard in the past.
- Customers in Friday Harbor using Call Forwarding will no long hear the special tone when this feature was activated. The Call Forwarding feature will function as it has in the past, but the user will hear a dial tone on their line instead of the special tone when this feature is used.
- Customers utilizing Remote Access Call Forwarding will use only the first four digits on their PIN to activate this service. In the past, a five-digit number was utilized. If a new PIN is needed, users should call the CenturyTel Customer Contact Center at 1-800-550-8110.
In addition, alarm companies and alarm users who utilize alarm equipment that is dial tone sensitive will want to monitor their systems during this upgrade.
If CenturyTel customers do experience service problems after the upgrade during the early morning hours of Wednesday, Nov 7, they should report the problem to the CenturyTel repair by calling 6-1-1. If dialing out of the area or using a cellular phone, the repair center can be reached at 1-800-533-4171.
Installation of new telephone switch rescheduled
posted 09/21/01
CenturyTel announced late Friday, Sept. 21, that the installation of new
telephone equipment set for cutover on Wednesday, Sept. 26, in the San Juan
Islands has been rescheduled for early November.
CenturyTel has been advising customers that a brief interruption of service was planned in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Sept. 26, in order to convert service to the new switch. "This cutover is being delayed to provide additional testing of both the equipment and its interconnections with other facilities such as the voice mail system," reports CenturyTel's Area Supervisor Bob Jarman. "We feel these additional steps will assist with a smooth transition to the new system."
The new equipment will accommodate growth in access lines and increased telephone use in this CenturyTel service area, which includes some 15,000 residential and business customers on the San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, Blakely, Decatur and Shaw Islands.
New telephone switch installation underway
posted 09/11/01
Telephone equipment installation and testing continues as CenturyTel nears its Wednesday, Sept. 26 cutover date for its conversion to a new state-of-the-art telephone switch for the San Juan Islands.
The new equipment will accommodate growth in access lines and increased telephone use in this CenturyTel service area, which includes some 15,000 residential and business customers on the San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, Blakely, Decatur and Shaw Islands.
"Customers may experience brief interruptions in service during September as the final installation work is being completed," said Bob Jarman, CenturyTel’s area supervisor. "Callers should not lose dial tone while on a call but may experience a brief interruption in dial tone if they attempt to place a call when work is being completed on their line. Callers should wait a couple of minutes and then redial the call," he explained.
However, during the early morning hours of Wednesday, Sept. 26, from approximately 12 midnight to 1:30 a.m. (Tuesday night-early Wednesday morning), customers will experience an interruption in service for up to 90 minutes as the cutover to the new equipment is underway. The time of the interruption in service will vary; dial tone will be reinstated to customers in segments until the entire area is in service. Dial tone to all customers on the Islands should be restored during the 90-minute period. The service interruption will also affect local cellular calls.
Jarman said that 911 service and other critical areas will be monitored as a priority. CenturyTel personnel will be in close communications with local law enforcement, fire and hospital personnel to ensure that service is restored to these areas as soon as possible.
If CenturyTel customers do experience service problems outside of these timeframes, they should report the problem to the CenturyTel repair by calling 6-1-1. If dialing out of the area or using a cellular phone, the repair center can be reached at 1-800-533-4171.
No need to dial ten digits locally
posted 08/24/01
Islanders will not need to dial area code 360 to call their neighbors after all. The state Utilities and Transportation Commission decided Aug. 22 to postpone indefinitely the addition of another area code in the area. If they had added an overlay area code as previously announced, everyone in Western Washington would have to dial ten digits for every phone call.
New telephone switch installation underway
posted 08/11/01
CenturyTel is spending $4.3 million on telephone network enhancements for the San Juan Islands. Telephone equipment and transmission systems to add telecommunication capacity to the entire area are being installed. The phone company is currently installing and testing the new equipment with the cutover date scheduled for Sept. 26.
Area Supervisor Bob Jarman says this installation will increase the current capacity available to this CenturyTel service area. The new equipment will accommodate growth in access lines and increased telephone use for the approximately 15,000 residential and business customers on San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, Blakely, Decatur and Shaw Islands.
Installation of new telephone equipment in CenturyTel’s Friday Harbor, Lopez and Eastsound central offices, as well as installation of equipment to offer Digital Line Subscriber (DSL) services is included. Customers who subscribe to Caller ID should see an increase in the number of out-of-area calls that are displayed on their Caller ID units.
