Backup Power Consumer Disclosure Form

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, many of today’s advanced home phone services (including fiber optics) require backup battery power to continue functioning during a power outage. To avoid a disruption of home voice service during a power outage – and to maintain the ability to connect to 911 emergency services – McDonald County Telephone Company has been providing backup battery power with an 8-hour uninterrupted power system (UPS) for all customers when they are cut over to fiber service at no extra cost to the customer. With the increasing costs of batteries and equipment to maintain these UPS systems, McDonald County Telephone Company will no longer be able to offer these systems at no cost to the customer. Beginning July 1st, 2020 existing UPS systems will no longer be maintained without purchasing a subscription to one of our UPS services. If you choose not to purchase a UPS service with us, you need to do nothing further, there will be no changes to your existing service except; in the event of a power outage you may lose access to your voice services during the duration of the power outage.

What Your UPS system Can – and Can’t – Do for You

The UPS systems provided by McDonald County Telephone Company for fiber installations allow you to continue to use your home voice services during a power outage. Without a backup battery or other alternate backup source such as a generator, fiber customers will not be able to make any calls, including emergency calls to 911 during a power outage. The only way to maintain the ability to use your phone on fiber during a power outage is by using some form of backup power.  Our UPS system does not provide power to any services other than voice. Home security systems, medical monitoring devices, Internet access, cordless phones, and other equipment will not run on a home phone backup battery.

Purchase Options

If you are concerned about being able to contact 911 emergency services during a power outage, a UPS system may be a good option for you. McDonald County Telephone Company offers 2 types of UPS services. A standard 8-hour UPS system, or a 24-hour UPS system. McDonald County Telephone Company offers each of these systems as a monthly maintenance plan. You can subscribe to either of our UPS services plans directly through McDonald County Telephone Company. If you have any questions or simply want to subscribe to this service, please call 417-223-4313, or go to your local business office. 8-hour UPS systems have a recurring cost of $2 per month. 24-hour UPS systems have a recurring cost of $5 per month.

Usage, Storage and Testing

Each of these plans cover labor and parts for maintaining, testing, and training for proper usage of the UPS system for standby voice services during your active subscription to the service. Each 8-hour battery system weighs approximately 5 pounds, roughly the size of 3 juice boxes, and is mounted in an indoor location where temperatures will not exceed below 14°F and above 120°F.

Expected Backup Power Duration

McDonald County Telephone Company’s standard 8-hour UPS system is expected to last at least 8 hours on standby power with up to 6 hours of talk time. The 24-hour system is expected to last 24 hours on standby power with up to 18 hours of talk time.