| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS |
My Account |
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Can I keep my existing phone number with Times Telecom?
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| Yes you can, as long as your phone number is within our serviceable areas. After signing up to our service, you’ll have to complete and sign an authorization form and fax it back to us. Learn more about this feature on our Local Number Portability page. |
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How long after I sign up can I use my Times Telecom service? |
| Times Telecom unlimited calling plans have been created to fit the specific needs of our customers. We try to include as many countries as possible; unfortunately, some countries cannot be included within our calling plans due to their high connection costs. As a solution, Times Telecom offers City2City which allows you make unlimited local and regional calls and to receive calls to your Vancouver, BC phone number from either Hong Kong, Taipei, Taichung, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, and any cities in Canada & USA. This service lets you customize your calling plan according to the destination where you receive the most calls. Your friends and family will now be able to keep in touch with you at no extra charge to them! |
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Can I add a specific country/destination to my Times Telecom unlimited calling plan? (Coming Soon!) |
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Times Telecom unlimited calling plans have been created to fit the specific needs of our customers. We try to include as many countries as possible; unfortunately, some countries cannot be included within our calling plans due to their high connection costs. As a solution, Times Telecom offers City2City which allows you make unlimited local and regional calls and to receive calls to your Vancouver, BC phone number from either Hong Kong, Taipei, Taichung, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, and any cities in Canada & USA. This service lets you customize your calling plan according to the destination where you receive the most calls. Your friends and family will now be able to keep in touch with you at no extra charge to them!
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How many phone lines can I have?(Coming Soon!) |
Times Telecom gives you the freedom to add as many phone numbers, fax lines, Virtual Phone Numbers and Softphones you want unto your account. All you need is 90Kbps of available bandwidth from your Internet Service Provider for each line in use at the same time. We give you the option to choose from our available calling plans or share the same calling plan and features of your primary broadband phone. Charges incurred on all phone numbers will be combined into one convenient monthly bill.
Your second line will work exactly like your primary line. Just plug your telephone/fax jack to the second port on your Times Telecom gateway. In the event that your gateway does not support a second port or that you wish to add more than two (2) phone numbers, Times Telecom gives you the option to acquire additional phone adapters.
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I don’t like my Times Telecom phone number. Can I change it? |
Times Telecom lets you change your primary number, add up to 2 virtual phone numbers, and even switch your primary number with a virtual phone number.
Simply log into your Web Account Portal and select the Account Tab. Within the submenu, choose “Change Number” and follow the steps to change your number. You will be able to choose a new number with the same or different area code from an extensive list of available phone numbers. Alternatively, contact customer service. Keep in mind when you choose a new number that your plan is billed according to the area code associated with your primary number, not the physical location of your phone.
Before you decide to make such an important decision, please be reminded that you will not be able to go back to your old number if you choose to take a new number. Once you give up your old number, Times Telecom will reissue that number to another Times Telecom customer. In addition, all stored voicemail messages associated with your old number will be permanently deleted. Times Telecom will allow you 7 days of courtesy access to your old voicemail box.
Alternatively, you can transfer your old number as a virtual number, instead of giving it up for only $4.95/month. As a virtual number, all calls from your old phone number will be permanently forwarded to your new phone number. That way, you will never miss a call from an old friend or family member who didn’t know your number was changed.
Please note there is a $9.95 setup fee each time you activate this feature.
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From which area codes can I select my new phone number? |
You can find out by visiting our Interactive Availability Map.
Things to Know:
- You can choose from area codes outside of your physical location. Let’s say you’re from Montreal and you make and receive calls most often to Vancouver. You can actually choose a Vancouver phone number so that your calls will be considered local. Your friends and relatives will be able to call your Times Telecom phone without incurring long distance charges, and vice versa.
- You can select more than one Times Telecom phone number with different area codes. That is, you can activate one Vancouver number, and one Montreal number to one single Times Telecom account.
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Are fax capabilities included with Times Telecom service?
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Your Times Telecom telephone adaptor is so much more than a gateway to voice. You can actually use your Internet phone line to send and receive faxes! Available with all our monthly plans, you benefit from substantial savings and a fax number that follows you anywhere you go.
Fax machines require higher bandwidth in order to function properly. For that reason, you need to inform Times Telecom if you intend to use a fax machine with our service so that we may configure your adapter correctly. Lite high-speed Internet services with speeds of up to 256K down and 128K up may not support this feature.
Times Telecom also offers online fax services through their Web2Fax and Fax2eMail features (Coming Soon!) .
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I’ve set up a Times Telecom account. Can I now disconnect my current phone service? |
Times Telecom service is promoted as a second phone line that gives you an extensive range of features and competitive international rates. We do not recommend that you disconnect your current traditional phone service for the following reasons:
- Your 911 dialing feature and your Times Telecom service will not function whenever your electrical power fails or when your Internet Service Provider is down.
- If you have subscribed to DSL, then your Internet connection requires access to a traditional phone line. You may cancel your DSL Internet service and subscribe instead to Cable Internet,
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Does my Times Telecom service include 911 or 411 dialing service?
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Yes. Both 411 & 911 Services are available. There are several important factors to consider regarding the impact of this service on your emergency calls. The type of 911 Service available to you depends on where and how you use your Times Telecom service. Please read our Terms & Conditions carefully for more information on 911 dialing. |
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Is Times Telecom service compatible with my home alarm system or my emergency response system?
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Yes. You can connect any telephone communication device to your phone adapter. However, Times Telecom strongly recommends that you dedicate any alarm or emergency response device to a traditional phone line. If your Internet connection goes down, or if your power fails, you will not be able to make or receive calls, nor will your alarm system.
Please consult with your alarm system provider before connecting your alarm system to your Times Telecom phone line.
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Where can I find out what the rates are to certain countries? |
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Times Telecom prides itself on providing international rates that will give our members substantial savings on their long distance charges. Check out our per-minute rates here. |
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Where can I get a softcopy of the installation guide for Times Telecom phone adapter?
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You can find a copy in our Resource Centre. |
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How do I add multiple phones to my VoIP service?
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When you sign up to Times Telecom service, you are automatically set up with a phone adaptor and an active phone port 1. However, one phone line is sometimes not enough and can constrain your actual phone needs. As a solution, Times Telecom offers 4 ways to add multiple phones onto your Times Telecom phone service: |
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Using a multiple jack extension connector
Plug the connector to the phone port found on your phone adaptor. This way, you can connect multiple phones on one single line. |
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Using a multi-handset cordless phone
This system includes a base phone unit that plugs directly to your phone adapter with additional handsets you can place anywhere in the house. |
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Using wireless phone jacks
The base unit connects to your phone adaptor and the wireless jacks plug into your household electrical outlets. You can put it anywhere where you want additional phones. You can then connect each additional phone to a wireless jack. Caller ID information will only be displayed on the telephone connected to the main base unit. If you decide to add multiple phones using wireless jacks, please note that you may experience sporadic dropped calls on the extension phones, and obliged to speak on one phone at a time. |
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Using your existing telephone wiring and extension in your home:
If you do not know how to distribute your Times Telecom service throughout your home, Times Telecom suggest you consult an electrician or someone professionally trained in internal telephone wiring. Otherwise, please follow these steps:
- Disconnect your phone wiring at the Demarcation Point in your Network Interface Device (usually a grey or black box located on the outside of your house).
- Make sure that the wiring on the jacks is not being fed with live PSTN voltage by using a line tester.
- Connect your phone adapter into one of your existing phone extensions to distribute your Times Telecom service to all other phone extensions in your home.
For more information, visit this web link "How to distribute VoIP throughout a Home"
Note: The phone adaptor’s manufacturer does not recommend plugging anything to the device other than a telephone jack. Damages occurring from this practice will therefore not be covered by warranty.
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All the electronic devices mentioned above can be found at any retail store that sells home telephone accessories, such as Future Shop, Best Buy, and The Source by Circuit City. |
