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• Click here to download Arkansas Telephone’s Network Management Policy (PDF)

Effective January 1, 2011, the amount of the Federal Universal Service Charge (FUSC) appearing on your bill each month will increase as a result of an increase in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) universal service fund contribution factor from 12.9% to 15.5%.  The amount of the FUSC on your bill is calculated in accordance with Federal Communication Commission’s rules by applying the new universal service contribution factor of 15.5% (0.155) to the rates for interstate services that you used.  The federal universal service fund program is designed to keep local service rates affordable for all customers, in all areas of the United States.

We have updated our Internet DSL Service Application.  You can download this application here:

http://www.artelco.com/downloads/dsl-application-updated-021210.pdf

On September 14th we will be upgrading our email system.  As a result, you will need to enter in your full email address as your username inside of your email client software (Outlook, Thunderbird, Eudora, etc.).  For example, your username will be your full email address: ex. yourname@artelco.com.

With this upgrade we will be able to provide our customers with 1gb of storage, faster and more reliable hardware.  We are also going to implement some noticeable changes to our webmail interface at this time.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to let us know…

Download the Artelco Automated Bill Payment Form (PDF)

LIFELINE LOW INCOME ASSISTANCE FOR TELEPHONE CONNECTIONS AND SERVICES
YOU MAY QUALIFY, APPLY NOW

• Download the Lifeline Application (PDF)
• Visit www.lifeline.gov for more information

Every person in America should have access to quality, affordable telecommunications service.  This principle of “Universal Service “ has been the goal of the telecommunications industry for decades.  In 1934, Congress made the goal a law and reaffirmed it in 1996 by establishing policies for the “preservation and advancement of Universal Service.”

To achieve the Universal Service goal, telephone companies have access to a fund that is generated by contributions from the telecommunications providers in the United States.  Telephone companies draw from the fund to provide two programs that support telecommunications services nationwide.  Lifeline Assistance Program (Lifeline) and Link-Up America (Link-Up) are part of the Fund’s Low-Income Program and are described in detail below.

Lifeline and Link-Up support provide discounts to eligible low-income consumers to help them establish and maintain telephone service.

What type of discount is available?

Link-Up reduces the cost of initiating (starting) new telephone service.  Eligible consumers can receive a 50% discount off the one-time costs associated with initiating telephone service, up to a maximum of $30.00.  Eligible consumers also qualify for a deferred payment schedule for remaining costs of up to $200.00.

Lifeline assistance lowers the cost of basic monthly local telephone service.  Eligible consumers will receive a $8.25 discount off their normal monthly local service charge.  Lifeline service is limited to one line per household at the customer’s primary residence.

How do I know whether I am eligible?

Eligibility for Lifeline and Link-Up support depends on eligibility.  Individuals are eligible if he or she participates (or the household) in one of the following programs:

• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Federal Public Housing Assistance or Section 8
• Medicaid
• Food Stamps
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• National School Lunch Free Lunch Program (household children)

In addition, a consumer may be eligible if his or her household income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines:

2005 Estimated Income Requirements for a Household at or Below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines

Persons in                              48 Contiguous   Family Unit                              States and D.C.

1                                                                     $12,920

2                                                                     $17,321

3                                                                     $21,722

4                                                                     $26,123

5                                                                     $30,524

6                                                                     $34,925

7                                                                     $39,326

8                                                                     $43,727

For each additional Person, add        $4,401

How do I apply for Lifeline and Link-Up Service and receive the discounts?

• Visit or call your local telephone company.
• Contact Lifelink Certification, LLC if you do not know your telephone company or you wish to contact a company that can help you through the application process.  Call toll free in Arkansas at 1-866-886-5465 or write to P O Box 1714, Malvern, AR  72104. You will receive assistance or an application in the mail.
• Fill out attached certification form and mail to Lifelink Certification, LLC at P O Box 1714, Malvern, AR  72104.

There are quite a few factors that can cause your modem to disconnect from the Internet.  Here are some things to check.

• (Very Common)  Is Outlook Express running?  It can be configured to disconnect after sending and/or receiving mail and will do so even if you have other Internet applications running.  To check if this is the case, open Outlook Express, click on Tools, Options, Connection, and see if there’s a check mark next to “Hang up after sending and receiving”.  If there is, and you do not wish Outlook Express to hang up, remove the check mark, click on Apply, and then OK.
• (Fairly Common)  Other equipment attached to the same phone line as your computer.  Especially cordless phones, answering machines, and any other phones that use an electronic ringer, but including satellite receivers and even phone line surge protectors.  Any other equipment can possibly cause interference with your modem connection.
• (Not as Common)  Modem drivers.  The V.90 protocol is only about 2.5 years old.  During the first year and a half after it’s release, it has undergone several revisions.  If your modem driver is over a year old, it could be causing a problem.  To update your modem driver, consult the documentation that came with your modem/computer, or visit your computer manufacturer’s web site.
• (Not as Common)  Modems and phone lines.  Not all modems are created equal, nor are all phone lines created equal (due to distance from the phone switch that serves you).  Some modems work better on longer phone lines than others.  As an example, my parent’s computer can connect to the Internet at ~45,000 kbps, but due to the distance of the phone line, they received many disconnects and slow throughput.  When they would connect at ~26 kbps, they would not disconnect and actually saw better performance while loading web pages.  This is because the higher connect rate had many more errors, resulting in more retransmission of the data, more modem renegotiations, and retrains.  I live about .25 mi. away from them, and my modem consistently connects well at ~45 kbps.
• (Not as Common)  Software Modems (win modems).  Software based modems require your computers CPU and Windows to function.  If your Windows environment is such that it requires more CPU time, (as in many programs running, low memory, low hard drive space, etc…) then your modem may not function properly.  It has been my experience many times, that turning off data compression on a modem can alleviate the problem with disconnections.  The easiest way to do this is to click on Start – Settings - Control Panel.  Double Click on Internet Options – Connections – Settings - Properties – Configure.  Change Max Speed to 57600 (Less if you’re on a long phone line, have other equipment attached to the phone line, etc.).  Click on Connections.  V.90 can take up to 90 seconds to negotiate a connection, So change the “Disconnect if not Connected within __ seconds” to at least 90.  Click on Advanced.  Remove the checkmark from “Compress Data” then click OK.  Also, something that can help on longer phone lines/lines with other equipment:  Click on Port Settings.  Change both the Transmit and Receive buffer to one less setting than the default.  E.g. On Win9x, move the slider left one position.  On WinMe change “High” to “Medium” and “Maximum” to “High”.

Those pointers cover the most common of the thousands of factors involved in a modem connection in my experience…