Maintaining Telephone Capability During Electrical Outages Christensen Communications Company has two delivery methods for our service, copper and fiber (also known as Fiber to the Home). Customers who are on our copper wire are connected to one of our central offices and will not have an interruption to their service in the event of a power outage if the customer uses a corded phone. You may want to consider maintaining at least one corded phone to use during power outages.
If you are one of our customers on a fiber connection, you have an optical network terminal (also known as an ONT) at your home. Christensen Communications telephone service requires this ONT to be powered by a power supply plugged into an electrical outlet. If the ONT loses power, your telephone services will not work, including 911 and any home security and medical monitoring that relies on telephone service. Unless, you have a backup power source such as the backup battery in your ONT or a generator. Customers wishing to guarantee that their ONT lasts in a power outage may purchase a battery from Christensen Communications. The battery that you may purchase from Christensen Communications is rated by its manufacturer to last at least 8 hours in idle mode and provide 6 hours of talk time when the battery is new. The battery is intended to enable users to make short, emergency, or other urgent telephone calls. If you are concerned about being able to contact 911 emergency services during a power outage that lasts longer than 8 hours, a large capacity, 24-hour backup battery may be a good option for you.
Purchase and Replacement Options Replacement ONT batteries are available for purchase at our office in Madelia. If you do not feel comfortable installing your own battery, please call to make an appointment and we would be happy to assist you. A labor charge of $75 per hour will apply for battery installation. If you have any questions about the ONT battery or would like to purchase a replacement battery, please call our office at 507-642-5555.
Instructions for Proper Care, Use & Monitoring of Your Battery Please follow the more detailed instructions included with your battery for proper use, storage, and care of your battery to ensure that it will function as needed during a power outage. If you do not store your battery correctly, it may shorten its useful life. Environmental factors such as temperature can shorten your battery’s useful life. We recommend that you store your battery above 32°F and below 104°F. If properly maintained, the life of a battery is 3-5 years. At the end of the useful battery life, the battery LED light will be on, and we will receive an alarm notification in our software indicating that you need a battery replacement.
Warranty Information The battery comes with a one-year warranty.
