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There are two ways you can switch your TV back to the correct input — you can do it from either the set top box remote or the original TV remote.

1. From the set top box remote, press the TV button in the top left of the remote, then press the bottom left button labeled input until the input changes and the picture returns. There are several inputs, so you may need to push the button several times before you get to HDMI and your picture returns. Usually, it should be set on HDMI.

2. From the original TV remote, locate and press the input or source button. Press it until the picture returns. There are several inputs, so you may need to push the button several times before you get to HDMI and your picture returns. Usually, it should be set on HDMI.

We are sorry you are having problems with your phone service. We pride ourselves on offering a dependable and reliable phone service for when you need it, but sometimes the equipment or wiring fails. Here are some helpful tips to figure out the problems you are experiencing with your phone service and to help us restore your service as quickly as possible.

‘Can’t be completed as dialed’ or similar error message.

– If you have dial tone, but can’t make a call, it is most likely an issue with your long-distance carrier or local routing. This issue will need to be reported to your long-distance carrier to resolve the issue.

– Check the number you have dialed. Is it a 1+ toll call or maybe you incorrectly dialed the number?

‘Static or noise on the line’

– We need to determine if the issue is on the inside or outside of your property. Unplug all phones, faxes, modems, answering machines, satellite dishes. Plug in one piece of equipment at a time and listen for noise. Check each piece of equipment to determine if one has gone bad. If the noise is still present, the issue is most likely on our end and will require a truck roll.

‘No dial-tone’

– Unplug all phones, faxes, modems, answering machines, satellite dishes. Plug in one piece of equipment at a time and listen for dial-tone. Check each piece of equipment to determine if one has gone bad. Often the source of ‘no dial-tone’ is a piece of equipment seizing the line. Resetting or power-cycling that equipment often restores service.

Call Completion Issues-Other people cannot call you

Are long-distance calls not getting through to you? Many people living in rural America are still experiencing intermittent problems receiving long-distance phone calls from across the country. You may have encountered any of the following:

– Someone tells you he/she tried to call you, but the call didn’t get through, or the caller heard ringing, but you didn’t.
– A call came through to you, but the quality was poor.
– A call came through, but the Caller ID was incorrect.

Failed or degraded calls not only undermine the integrity of the nation’s telephone networks and frustrate consumers, but they also pose a serious risk to public safety and harm the rural economy. For example, schools may not be able to reach parents with critical alerts, and small businesses may be losing customers. The problem starts with the long-distance carrier used by the customer who makes the call and can only be resolved by this carrier.

Local telecommunications providers, such as Dumont Telephone Company, are not the cause of the problem. We strive to always provide excellent service and are as frustrated as you are by the illegal practices of some long-distance carriers and their agents. Action is currently being taken by the FCC and its Rural Call Completion Task Force. It includes staff from the agency’s Wireline Competition, Public Safety and Homeland Security, and Enforcement Bureaus. Most recently, the Wireline Competition Bureau issued a Declaratory Ruling to clarify the FCC’s stated prohibition on actions taken by companies which may restrict telephone traffic in any way. This ruling reminds long-distance carriers that it is illegal to block, choke or reduce long distance traffic and that this prohibition also includes any practices that lead to call termination or call quality problems as well. These practices would violate the Communications Act of 1934 because it is seen as unreasonable discrimination of those of us who reside in rural areas of the United States. To read the entire document, visit: www.fcc.gov/document/wcb-issues-declaratory-ruling-rural-call-completion-issues

There are things you can do to help:
– Ask for the name of the long-distance carrier used by the person trying to reach you.
– Call Dumont Telephone Company 641-857-3211 and give us the name of the carrier used by the caller, your phone number and the number of the person trying to call you, and the date and time of the problem call. We’ll contact the carrier on your behalf to try and resolve the issue.
– Go to https://www.fcc.gov/general/rural-call-completion-problems-long-distance-or-wireless-calling-rural-areas for more information on the call completion issue or to file a complaint with the FCC against the long distance carrier used by the person trying to call you (not Dumont Telephone Company). Encourage your caller to do the same.

You can start service by filling out an application online.

Using the set-top box remote, in the bottom right, press the button underneath the #9 button until the screen says Closed Captioning Off.