No. There is no charge to switch over to Cox Long Distance. And, Cox Long Distance is simple and affordable.

• Long Distance companies prefer to bill customers directly for their long distance calling, that is why you receive a separate bill.
• If you select Cox as your long distance provider we can put all of your local and long distance on one easy to understand bill.

The Universal Fund Fee was created by the FCC to help provide affordable telecommunications services for low-income families, to remote areas and advanced services, such as Internet access, to eligible organizations. All long distance carriers pay into this fund. The Carrier Line Fee helps recover a portion of fees paid to local phone companies for access.

Switching your long-distance company without your approval is called slamming, and it's illegal.

• Slamming: The illegal practice of changing a consumer's telephone service - local, intralata or long distance service - without permission. Such unauthorized switching violates FCC rules, regardless if the change was intentional or unintentional.
• Cramming: A practice in which customers are billed for enhanced features such as voice mail, caller-ID and call-waiting that they have not ordered. This Definition is provided so that each user will be able to differentiate slamming vs. cramming. Cramming is NOT to be tracked for purposes of reporting to the FCC.
  • Federal Communications Commission, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau, Consumer Complaints, 445 12th Street, SW , Washington, D.C. 20554 > contact or e-mail fccinfo@fcc.gov
  • Report Fraud
  • National Do Not Call Registry

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires Cox and other long distance carriers to pay into the Universal Service Fund. This helps provide affordable phone service and gives schools, libraries and rural healthcare providers access to the Internet. Cox is recovering its costs for the required payments into this fund through a separate charge on each residential customer's bill. This charge is called the Universal Connectivity Charge.

Intra-state refers to calls that originate and terminate within the same state. Inter-state calls originate in one state and terminate in another. Cox Communications is licensed to provide both intra and inter-state services to our customers.

Yes, in most instances, Local Number Portability (LNP) allows a customer to change local exchange carriers and maintain their current phone number, even though they are now serviced by a different provider.

Yes. Directory Assistance is available with Cox Digital Phone service.

Yes. Or if you choose, the information can be kept private.

There are several ways to determine who your long distance provider is:

• Contact a Cox customer service representative
• Call 1-700-555-4141 from the phone line in question. A recorded message will state the name of your carrier.
• Dial "0" and an operator will assist you.

Yes. This website offers quick instructions on how to set up, use, and troubleshoot Voice Mail.  If these instructions do not resolve your issue, please contact us.

Yes. In fact, you can also be surfing the Internet with Cox High Speed Internet. Cox's broadband network allows you to use multiple appliances simultaneously.

No, Cox Communications is a facilities-based provider. That means all of our services are provided over a network that we built and monitor.

Cox Digital Phone is provided over an upgraded digital fiber-optic network that has made Cox first in reliability. Our state-of-the art technology assures you of crystal-clear connections and, to keep your phone service trouble-free, we monitor the network 24 hours a day.

Yes, it is important that we make sure that the phone jacks in your home have dial tone and that all of the services that you requested are in working order before we leave.

We will attach a Network Interface Unit (NIU) to the side of the your home (usually where the other utilities are located), test phone lines and jacks, verify services and test outgoing and incoming call ability.

A Network Interface Unit (NIU) is the device placed on the side of the house and connects incoming signals to the wiring inside the house. The Cox NIU is similar to the device that other phone companies utilize.

Usually not. There might be a time when our customer wants an outlet in a place that is not pre-wired or there is a problem with the existing pre-wire but this is the exception, not the rule.

No. Outages can occur for a variety of reasons that may not affect the phone lines. The Cox Network Operations Center constantly monitors the network for potential problems, quickly identifies interruptions in service, and remedies the problem.

No, the phone working with your current service should work with the Cox Digital Telephone service. Cox utilizes the same type of switching equipment and software as other phone service providers.

Yes

Not necessarily, because cable outages can occur for a variety of reasons that may not affect the phone lines. Cox's Network Operations Center constantly monitors the network for potential problems, quickly identifies interruptions in service, and remedies the problem. In addition, if the problem is an electrical power outage, Cox provides back-up power so your phone keeps working.