Fiber Service Battery Backup

Backup Power for Home Phone Services during Power Outages

For many years, your home phone would allow you to stay connected to emergency voice services during a power outage.  However, if your telephone service is provided using fiber optics, it requires backup battery power to continue functioning during a power outage.  To avoid a disruption of home voice service during an outage – and to maintain the ability to connect to 911 emergency services – HomeTel provides you with a battery for backup power for your fiber optic telephone service when your service is installed at no additional cost.

What your Battery Can – and Can’t – Do for You

HomeTel’s backup batteries for telephone service allow you to use your home telephone service during a power outage for emergency purposes.  Without a backup battery or alternate backup source such as a generator, customers will not be able to make any calls, including emergency calls to 911.  The only way to maintain the ability to use your phone is by using some form of backup power.

HomeTel’s backup battery does not provide power to any services other than voice and is not intended for internet, WiFi, third party VoIP or other internet applications.  Home security systems, medical monitoring devices and other equipment will not run on a home phone backup battery. Keep in mind cordless phones will not work during a power outage. Cordless phones require electricity. HomeTel recommends you keep a corded phone on hand as corded phones do not require electricity.

Expected Backup Power Duration

The backup battery included with your HomeTel voice service is expected to last up to eight (8) hours on standby power.  We suggest you use the phone sparingly and only for emergency purposes during a power outage or the battery will drain quicker.  If you feel that is not enough time, you may purchase an extended battery from HomeTel for $99.00 that will provide up to 24 hours of standby power.

Proper Care and Use of Your Backup Battery

Your backup battery is located in the HomeTel Fiber Optic Network Terminal “ONT.” These batteries are rechargeable.  However, they will not last forever and may need to be replaced.  HomeTel has systems that monitor battery life and will alert us when it is low. When we receive notification that your battery needs to be replaced, we will contact you to schedule a replacement. You will not need to access the battery. However, if you experience any problems with your HomeTel fiber optic voice service during a power outage of less than 8 hours, please notify HomeTel.