Calling Services

CTC offers a full range of calling features that help you manage your phone.

Call Waiting

Call Waiting alerts you with a beep that another party is trying to contact you while you are on the phone. You can answer the incoming call privately without losing the current call, and you can alternate between calls.

What Call Waiting will do for you:

• Prevents missed calls.
• Callers will hear ringing. After 8 rings it will go to a busy signal.
• Provides many of the advantages of an additional line but at a fraction of the cost.

To end an existing call and answer a waiting call:
Hang up, then allow telephone to ring and answer it.

To hold an existing call and answer a waiting call:
Depress switchhook one time.

To alternate between calls:
Depress switchhook one time.

To disconnect call:
Hang up.
Note: If you have Call Hold, you must press after depressing the switchhook to accept the waiting call.

What Cancel Call Waiting can do for you:

• Prevents Call Waiting interruptions on important calls or long distance calls.
• Prevents disconnection when using Dial-Up Internet.

To Cancel Call Waiting before making a call:

• Press   then listen for three beeps and a steady dial tone.
• Dial the desired number.
• Call Waiting will automatically be restored when you complete the call.

To Cancel Call Waiting during a call:

(Three-Way Calling feature or Call Hold feature is required.)

• Depress switchhook, then listen for three beeps and a steady dial tone.
• Press   then listen for three beeps.
• Wait for automatic reconnection to existing call.

Note: When Cancel Call Waiting is activated, caller will hear a busy signal.

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Caller ID

Caller ID displays a caller's name and telephone number on your telephone or attached Caller ID box.

Note: A Caller ID box or phone with Caller Name & Number capability is required.

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Caller ID Call Waiting

Caller ID Call Waiting provides you with the name and number of an incoming call waiting call.

Note: A Caller ID box or phone with Caller Name & Number capability is required.

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Three Way Calling allows you to add a third party to a call you have already made. If one of the two parties you called hangs up, you will still remain connected to the other. 

To Use Three Way Calling:

• Depress and release the hook switch to put the party on hold.
• Listen for three bursts of dial tone followed by a steady dial tone.
• Dial the number of the second party. You can talk to this party privately until you reconnect with the party on hold. If the second party you called does not answer or you get a busy signal, depress and release the hook switch to go back to the party on hold.
• To connect with both parties, depress and release the hook switch. When you hang up, all parties are disconnected.

Note: If dialing long distance numbers, you will pay long distance rates for both calls.

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Remote Call Forwarding

Call Forwarding automatically forwards your calls to another location when you are away, or do not want to receive calls.

To activate Call Forwarding:

• Press and wait 4 seconds for dial tone.
• Dial the number you would like to forward calls to, and wait 4 seconds for 2 bursts of dial tone.
• To notify parties at the call forwarding number that you have set your calls to go there, wait another 4 seconds and the call will be placed.

To deactivate Call Forwarding:

• Press and wait 4 seconds for 2 bursts of dial tone, and hang up. Until you deactivate Call Forwarding you can make 
  outgoing calls but cannot answer incoming calls.

Note: If calls are forwarded to a number outside your local calling area you will be billed for consequent toll charges.

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Call Forward No Answer redirects your calls to another phone number if you do not answer your phone after 2-9 rings.

To activate Call Forward Don't Answer:

• Press 92and wait 4 seconds for dial tone.
• Dial the number you would like to forward calls to.
• If someone answers at the number, Call Forwarding Don't Answer is active.

To deactivate Call Forwarding:

• Press 93and listen for three "beeps."

Note: If calls are forwarded to a number outside your local calling area you will be billed for consequent toll charges.

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Preferred Call Forwarding allows you to forward selected calls to another telephone number.

To activate Preferred Call Forwarding:

• Press 63
• Follow the announcement telling you if the feature is ON or OFF.
• Dial to turn the feature ON if it is currently OFF, or to turn the feature OFF if it is currently ON.

To enter your "Forward To" number:

• The first time you turn on the service you will be asked to enter the number you would like special calls forwarded to.
• Press # to add a number
• Follow the voice instructions

Note: If calls are forwarded to a number outside your local calling area you will be billed for consequent toll charges.

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Call Forwarding Busy Line automatically forwards your calls to another location when your phone line is busy.

To activate Call Forward Busy:

• Press 90and for dial tone.
• Dial the number you would like to forward calls to.
• If someone answers at the number, call forwarding is established.

To deactivate Call Forwarding:

• Press 91and listen for three "beeps."
• Hang up.

Note: If calls are forwarded to a number outside your local calling area you will be billed for consequent toll charges.

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Repeat Dialing allows you to reach busy numbers without having to redial. Just dial a code when you receive a busy signal, and your phone will check the busy number for availability for up to 30 minutes. A special call-back sound will alert you when the number is free, and the call will automatically be made when you pick up the handset.

To activate Repeat Dialing:

• Press

To deactivate Repeat Dialing:

• Press

Note: You can still make and receive calls while the Repeat Dialing service is monitoring a busy signal.

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Personal Ringing

Personal Ringing allows your telephone line to have up to three numbers, each with its own unique ringing pattern.

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Toll Control with PIN allows a customer to have toll calls blocked, but have the ability to override the restriction on a case-by-case basis by using a PIN number.

To activate Toll Control with PIN:

• Press 13 and listen for dial tone.
• Dial the PIN number (which can be any combination of digits up to seven numbers).
• Listen for another dial tone. Place your long distance call.

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Remote Call Forwarding allows all calls to your number to be permanently forwarded to another telephone number.

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Remote Activation of Call Forwarding allows you to activate and deactivate your Call Forwarding features from any telephone.

To activate Remote Activation of Call Forwarding:

• Dial 1 + your area code + your exchange prefix +1244 and you will hear a recording telling you to enter the number to forward calls, followed by your PIN number.
• You will hear three tones and then dial tone.
• Press 72 and you will hear three more tones.
• Dial the number you would like to forward calls to.
• You will receive three bursts of tone as confirmation that your Call Forwarding is active.

To deactivate Remote Activation of Call Forwarding:

• Follow Steps 1 and 2 from above.
• Press 73 and wait four seconds.  Listen for three short beeps.  Call Forwarding is now cancelled.

Note: If calls are forwarded to a number outside your local calling area you will be billed for consequent toll charges.

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Line Make Busy provides you with a method for making one telephone line or a group of lines appear busy to incoming calls.

To activate Line Make Busy:

• Press58.  Listen for three short beeps, indicating that Line Make Busy is active

To deactivate Line Make Busy:

• Press 59 and wait four seconds.  Listen for three short beeps, indicating that Line Make Busy is deactivated.

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Call Transfer allows you to transfer an existing call to another telephone number by using the "Flash" switch and dialing the number that the call is to be transferred to.

You must have Three Way Calling to use Call Transfer

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Call Hold allows you to place a caller on hold and initiate a second call.

To Use Call Hold:

• Flash the hook switch or flash button on your phone.
• Press . You will receive a dial tone and can now dial another number. You can alternate between the two conversations by using the hook switch or flash button.

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Area Code Restriction prevents calls to specific area codes or any combination of area codes.

You must advise CTC which area codes you wish to be restricted.

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Call Screening allows you to create a list of phone numbers from which you do not wish to receive calls. Calls from those phone numbers are sent to an announcement that informs the caller that you are not receiving calls at this time.

To Use Selective Call Rejection:

• Press
• Voice instructions will guide you through the steps of how to turn Call Screening on or off, or make changes to your list.

  to repeat the instructions
  to review the numbers on your list;
  to turn Selective Call Rejection on or off
  to add a number to your list;
  to delete a number from your list
  to delete all numbers from your list.

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Do Not Disturb allows you to prevent calls from ringing at your phone by diverting them to a tone or recorded announcement. You can give selected callers a PIN number that will allow them to override the Do Not Disturb function.

To activate Do Not Disturb:

• Press 78 and listen for dial tone.
• Hang up.

To deactivate Do Not Disturb:

• Press 79

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Speed Dial

Speed Dial allows you to create a list of up to eight frequently dialed numbers that you can call by entering a one-digit code.

To Use Speed Dial:

• Press 74 and wait four seconds for a dial tone.
• From the available code numbers, dial the code number that you wish to substitute for the directory number PLUS all digits of the phone number (including 1+ area code if it is long distance).
• Wait four seconds for two "beeps", then hang up.
• Repeat steps one through three for each number to be stored.

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Automatic Recall puts an end to the annoyance of missed calls by allowing you to automatically dial the last party who tried to reach you.

To Use Last Call Return:

• Press
• Listen for an announcement telling you the phone number of the last caller.
• If you wish to return the call, press
• If you do not wish to return the call, hang up the phone.
• If the line is busy, listen for the announcement telling you the number is busy; hang up the phone; listen for a short- short-long ring telling you the line is free. The call will automatically be made when you lift the handset.

To cancel last call return:

• Press

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Warm Line allows a predetermined phone number to be automatically dialed if your phone is taken off the hook and no numbers are dialed after a certain amount of time.

A customer gives the telephone company the telephone number they have designated to be called.

LOCAL TELEPHONE SERVICE SECTION

Reliable, economical telephone service is a way of life with CTC. We proudly serve 10 exchanges in north-central Minnesota - the same exchanges we've been serving for more than 50 years.

We offer you a choice of all the services you've come to expect: residential and business phone lines, phone rental, inside and outside wire maintenance, Caller ID and Telemarketer Screening. You can receive all this and more from us - and benefit from our long-standing reputation for excellent service and support - if you live in the CTC Telephone Service area.

Call us today. Your $10 membership makes you a shareholder in the cooperative. And you earn Capital Credits with all your telephone services!

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No charge with Caller ID feature

Anonymous Call Rejection will route any incoming calls that have blocked their number from being displayed on a Caller ID unit.  The caller will hear a message telling them that you are calling is not accepting calls that are blocked.

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Priority Ringing allows you to program your telephone to ring with a special ringing pattern whenver you are called from a selected list of telephone numbers.  Your phone will ring with a normal tone for all other calls. 

To Use Priority Ringing:

• Press 61 and listen for the instructions.
• Press 3 to turn the feature ON, or to turn it OFF if it is on

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Special Call Acceptance allows you to select those calls that you wish to receive.

To Use Special Call Acceptance:

• Press 64 and listen for the instructions.
• Listen for an announcement indicating whether the featuers is ON or OFF.  The recording will then tell you how many numbers are stored on our list.
• Press 3 to turn the feature ON (if it is currently off) or to turn the feature OFF (if it is currently on).
• When your service is turned ON you will receive only calls from those numbers on your acceptance list.  All others will reach a recording stating that you are not accepting calls at this time.

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Telemarketer Call Screening intercepts calls that are delivered as "unknown" or "blocked," which are primarily telemarketers.

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Customer Originated Trace

Customer Originated Trace allows you to automatically trace the last incoming call you received. A successful trace receives a success message. There is a charge of $1.00 per trace.

To Use Customer Originated Trace:

• Hang up the receiver.
• Lift the receiver and press 57 (dial 1157 on a rotary phone).
• Recording will tell you to dial 1 if you wish to trace the last call.
• Listen for the confirmation that the last call was traced. This announcement will indicate whether the trace was successful or unsuccessful.
• Hang up.
• Record the date and time that you traced this call.
• Contact CTC for an "Authorization to Release Line Identification Form."
• Contact your law enforcement agency. Give the date, time and Authorization Form to the deputy.
• The law enforcement agency should then contact the telephone company with this information. No information will be given to law enforcement without an Authorization Form. No information will be given to the subscriber.
• Contact your law enforcement agency for the results of this trace.

It is essential that the Call Trace action (press 57 or dial 1157 on a rotary phone) be done immediately after you hang up the phone following the offending call. If you delay taking action and receive another call, Call Trace will not trace the original call.

If a call waiting tone is received during the call you wish to trace, the waiting call will be traced rather than the original call.

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Home Intercom

The Home Intercom feature allows a customer to set up the home intercom system by using the Home Intercom Access Code method. Under the access code approach, all extensions connected to an individual line will ring with a distinctive ringing pattern which corresponds to the access code that was dialed. When any extension telephone is answered the ringing will stop thereby enabling the intercom system and allowing the extensions to talk. A benefit of Home Intercom is that a subscriber can establish pre-designated access codes for particular family members which allow each family member a certain ring pattern. The unique ring pattern will alert the family member when an intercom call is meant for them.

Also included in this feature is Dialable Call Hold, where one extension can transfer an outside call to another extension.

To establish a Home Intercom call:

• Pick up the receiver.
• Press one of the three Home Intercom access codes (53, 54, 55).
  • The subscriber will hear an announcement.
  • Hang up the handset.
  • All extensions connected to the individual line will then ring with the distinctive ring pattern corresponding to the access code that was dialed. When any station answers, the ringing will stop allowing the extensions to talk to one another on the same line.
• To transfer an outside call to another extension, depress the switch hook to receive a dial tone.
• Dial the call hold code (9). At this time a second dial tone is heard.
• Press one of the three Home Intercom access codes (53, 54, 55).
  • The subscriber will hear an announcement.
  • Hang up the handset.
  • All extensions connected to the individual line will then ring with the distinctive ring pattern corresponding to the access code that was dialed. When any station answers, the ringing will stop.

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