Forum Discussion

SikkoB's avatar
SikkoB
New Contributor

Told Digital Phone was the same as our Analog and it wont go out during outages / storms

On a Friday our analog telephone stopped working and we called Tech support the following Monday.  They told us that they would send someone out to "fix" our problem.  The tech arrived and told us he was sent here because he needed to upgrade our phone line to digital.  We weren't notified by Cox of this service interruption and we were really hesitant as our analog line NEVER went out during a storm.  Two weeks later that changed and we didn't have any Emergency Access or regular phone access.  Unreal how companies think this will improve service and causes their customers to be in more danger.  What happens if a storm like Sandy hits our area...all mobile phones will be out in my area and we will be S.O.L. with this forced Digital service.  Can we get our old copper telephone service back?

connection
Continuously rising bills
copper
dial tone
disconnect
Horrible change management
landline
loss of phone service
loss of service
modem and landline

7 Replies

Sort By
Most LikedOldestNewest
Replies have been turned off for this discussion
  • wees41's avatar
    wees41
    Contributor II

    cox was always digital phone did you get a phone modem?  if yo did you need to purchase a backup battery from cox

  • Muse's avatar
    Muse
    New Contributor III

    The problem with Cox' Telephone service is that they now use an internally mounted VOIP modem which requires AC power to work. If the power goes out, so does your phone. Now these units have a backup battery feature but Cox no longer supplies the battery for free. In fact, most of the time the tech doesn't even make you aware of the feature. You have to buy the battery which is probably only reliable for about 6 months, maybe 1 year before you should replace it.

    When they first got into this business they installed an external device which is not impacted by a power outage. I have two of these on my wall because the owner before me had something like 8 lines in this home as part of a real estate home office business. Think Fax and Dial Up internet days along with multiple business lines and of course the main house line too.

  • Big_Papi's avatar
    Big_Papi
    New Contributor

    This is great info Muse! I have no dial tone. Where is this back up battery located? Inside the modem? Also, I have a Monatronics house alarm that must be connected to my Cox phone lines. Would this have anything to do with my no dial tone issue?

  • ChrisL's avatar
    ChrisL
    Former Moderator
    @Big Papi

    When I look at your connection from this end it doesn't appear you're using a modem for phone service. As for your dial tone problem I suggest disconnecting anything that is connected to the phones including your alarm it is connects via a disconnectable plug then connect a single phone and see if you get dial tone.

  • No_More_Cable_B's avatar
    No_More_Cable_B
    New Contributor

    Watch anything in the world you want for free proven in the link below.

    -No more cable bills-

    [copy&paste the link to view the video overview]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wROUdmO-uY8

  • SikkoB's avatar
    SikkoB
    New Contributor

    Hi Chris,

    Did you perhaps look at my services, because I do have Cox Digital phone service and the only way that it works is through the modem which has another connection to a telephone line.  Today, I am talking to Stan from Cox support who informed me that the modem I was provided has an 8 hour battery backup. 

    I live in a rural area, and when our power went out in 2011 while I was deployed to Iraq my wife had a dial tone the entire 6 days the power was out.  So if she needed an ambulance, police or fire department she would have been able to call upon their public service. 

    @Muse and @Big Papi the "phone lines" you are referring to as "Fax / Dial up" is called a "landline" which is a hard line that goes from your home to your telephone provider, to their call center switches which is where these lines are powered.  They are underground instead of on telephone poles, this is why / how these lines are so reliable and always on even during power outages, because the call centers run on generator power to make sure they provide service to the public departments which we pay our taxes to.  This is why I am causing such a big stink over this because I can no longer rely on my public service to answer a call if I my mobile phone tower gets damaged by high winds / debris.

  • DustinP's avatar
    DustinP
    Moderator
    Hello SikkoB,

    Your Cox Digital Telephone service utilizes telephone equipment that is connected to your home’s power. During a power outage, you will not have access to phone service or e911 unless a battery is installed in each piece of telephone equipment at your home. Backup batteries can provide up to eight hours of standby service or up to four hours of talk time using a corded telephone that does not require power and is directly connected to the telephone modem's jack.

    Telephony Modem Batteries are available for purchase from Cox at any of our retail locations. For a list of the nearest Cox retail locations, please update the zip code when accessing our website here:

    https://www.cox.com/residential/contactus.html