Robocall

Home Phone Service - Battery Backup

Phone service sold and installed after April 14, 2020:

Our phone service utilizes equipment that is connected to your home's power. Because our equipment does not include a backup battery source, if there is power interruption to your home, your service will not work. Backup batteries may be purchased to supply power to the phone equipment should a power outage occur. Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) can be purchased from brick-and-mortar or online retailers that can provide up to 24 hours of power for our equipment. We've identified and tested two products manufactured by APC that offer a 2-year warranty, can operate between 5° F and 113° F have lights to monitor the power source, and include an easy test button. These two products are listed below.

Alternative Battery Backup

Customers who wish to use a battery backup solution for an extended battery backup period can purchase an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) from many brick-and-mortar and online retailers. The following Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) solution is generally available for purchase in brick-and-mortar and electronic retail stores and can provide 24 hours of battery backup for the phone equipment provided by Fidelity:

(Both units are required for 24 hours of coverage)

Phone service sold and installed prior to April 15, 2020:

Our phone service includes a power failure backup battery which is capable of powering the phone service (via eMTA or ONT) for up to 8 hours in standby. The included battery does not provide backup power for cordless phones. Customers who rely on cordless phones should provide their own power backup for their telephone set(s).

Battery Backup

What your Battery Can - and Can't - Do for You

Fidelity's phone service relies on electrical power to operate. Without a battery backup or alternate backup source such as a generator, you will not be able to make any calls, including emergency calls to 911, in a power outage. During a power outage, many subscribers must rely on a battery backup, or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), to ensure that their service will continue to operate.

Our phone equipment comes equipped with a built-in battery backup in case of a power outage. This battery backup will continue to supply power to your phone service until external power is restored or the battery runs out. The battery backup does not provide power to services such as home security systems, medical monitoring devices, cordless phones or any other equipment.

Expected Backup Power Duration

The battery included with your phone equipment is expected to last at least eight hours on standby. How many hours of talk time this equals depends on your usage during an outage. We recommend having at least one telephone in your home that does not require external power (does not plug into an electrical outlet), or have your own backup power supply handy, that you may use to power your phone service and other important devices during an extended outage.

Proper Care and Use of your Battery

The estimated life of the battery provided with your phone equipment is 6 to 10 years, and the battery is rechargeable. If you do not store your phone equipment correctly, it may shorten your battery's useful life. We recommend placing your phone equipment in an area above 40°F and below 100°F in order to preserve your battery's life, and storing any backup batteries in the same environmental conditions.

Fidelity does not manufacture or warrant the phone equipment or any battery backup solution. Warranty information is via the battery manufacturer, and manufacturer warranties vary.

If the battery light on your phone equipment turns amber or begins to flash, this means that the battery is depleted and must be replaced. If the battery light is off, your battery may already be dead. Replacement batteries may be purchased from brick-and-mortar or online retailes, such as www.amazon.com, Best Buy, Batteries Plus, or www.APC.com. If you have any questions about the battery included with your equipment, please contact Fidelity for more information.

Alternative Battery Backup

Customers who wish to use an alternative battery backup solution for an extended battery backup period may purchase an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) from many brick-and-mortar and online retailers. While we do not endorse any particular solution, the following Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) solution is an example of one that is generally available for purchase in brick-and-mortar or online electronic retail stores and can provide 24 hours of battery backup for Fidelity's phone equipment:

APC UPS, 750VA Smart-UPS Sine Wave UPS Battery Backup with Extended Run Option, 2U Rack/Tower Convertible, Line-Interactive, 120V (SMX750) APC External Battery Pack for Smart-UPS Extended Run SMX-Series (2000VA and Higher), 48V, 4U Rack/Tower (SMX120BP) (Both units are required for 24 hours of coverage)

For more information on the equipment provided with Fidelity phone service, please choose one of the below links:

Digital Phone Equipment Guide (Cable) Digital Phone Equipment Guide (Fiber)

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