Telephone is a very important utility. This service will require a lot of work to make it work since most people already had a phone number that they likely had for years. Everyone’s telephone number will eventually change. Any old telephone jacks will be obsolete, and will eventually no longer work. Any new telephone devices will require SIP capability or the use of an ATA (Analog Telephone Adapter) that the customer will connect their telephone to, and then connect the ATA to the LAN.
Telephone services will be in one of two forms. There will be terrestrial and cellular. Any new lines will use the new format for telephone numbers. The telephone number will be the NIN + a single digit. This will eventually make it much easier to remember one’s telephone number. The customer will have 1 year to transition to the new format. After that year, all of the old telephone numbers will cease to operate.
Ka-Tel is responsible for the Caller-ID system, telephone numbers, and voicemail services. If there are more than one provider, then the provider is the company that actually provides the service. All carriers will be required to provide unlimited domestic calling which will eliminate the need for toll-free numbers, and this will allow the business to save money since they don’t need a toll-free number, nor will they have to pay for incoming calls. When a customer wishes a new number, the provider will acquire that number from Ka-Tel. That number will also display the person’s name for when they make outgoing calls. If this will be their first telephone line, they will need to setup voicemail. This can be done from a terrestrial phone by dialing *86, or from a cellular phone by pressing and holding down the number 1 key. More information about the telephone system will be noted in this section.