Backup Power for Residential Fiber Optic Telephone 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 residential voice telephone service is provided using fiber optics, fixed wireless, or by coaxial cable, rather than a twisted pair copper based line, the residential voice telephone service 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 – RC Technologies offers you the option of purchasing backup power for your fiber optic voice telephone service.

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

The backup battery for fiber optic voice service allows you to continue to use your voice services during a power outage. Without a backup battery or alternate backup power source such as a generator, customers with fiber, fixed wireless or coaxial cable deliver services will not be able to make calls, including emergency calls to 911. The only way to maintain the ability to use your voice service is by using some form of backup power.

Inability To Use Cordless Phones and Other Devices During A Power Outage

If you have a cordless phone, it will not work during a power outage as your cordless phone requires power from an external power source like an electric outlet in your home. To use your cordless phone you would need to power the cordless phone with a backup generator or UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). In order to use your RC voice service during power outages, we suggest that you keep a corded phone on hand. Corded phones, unlike cordless phones, do not need a separate power source to operate.

RC Technologies’ backup battery only provides backup power to RC fiber optic voice services; not intended for Internet, Wi-Fi, or third party VoIP or other internet applications. Devices that rely on voice service, such as home security systems, medical monitoring devices, TTY devices, and other equipment may be disrupted if there is an electrical power outage unless those devices are powered by an alternate power source such as a generator or UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). These type of alternate power sources are available from third party retail vendors.

Expected Backup Battery Power Duration

An 8 hour backup battery solution is expected to last up to 8 hours of standby power depending on battery age, usage, and environment. The 8 hour backup battery should give you approximately 4 to 6 hours of talk time. If you require a backup battery with longer standby and talk time, please contact us. We offer batteries with up to 24-hour standby power.

Instructions for Proper Care and Use of Your Backup Battery

Your backup battery is currently located near the Fiber Optic Network Terminal “ONT”. The battery for your RC fiber optic voices is designed to be operated in temperatures above 32° and below 104°F. RC backup batteries are rechargeable and have an estimated useful life span of 3-5 years. New batteries will need to be installed periodically as they expire. You are responsible for monitoring the age and condition of the battery. Replacement batteries can be purchased through RC. Old batteries cannot be thrown in the trash and need to be returned to RC.  If  you  have any questions,  please call (605) 637-5211, or  email at  csrs@rctechteam.com.