FAQ

 

GENERAL INQUIRIES

 

“What exchanges are located in the Shawnee Communications service area?”

The Shawnee Communications exchanges are Cave-In-Rock, Eddyville, Elim Springs, Elizabethtown, Equality, Golconda, Goreville, Hammond, Herod, Hicks, Lake of Egypt, Leamington, Renshaw, Ridgway, Rosiclare, Simpson and Lovington and Vienna.

 

“How do I apply for telephone service?”

To sign up for service, we will have some paperwork for you to fill out. We can send the application to you electronically or you can visit one of our local offices to complete the necessary paperwork. We have offices in Equality and Lovington and they can be reached Monday – Friday at 800.461.3956 or by emailing custserv@shawneetel.com.

 

“I want to plant a tree in my yard but am concerned about hitting buried utility lines. Who do I call before I dig?”

State law requires Illinois residents to call Illinois One Call, also known as J.U.L.I.E. You may contact J.U.L.I.E. by dialing 811, or you may visit them online at www.illinois1call.com before beginning any digging or excavation. If you do not call to request a location of utility facilities, and damage to the facilities occurs, you may be liable for damage and repair costs.

 

“My phone is dead. How can I test my service?”

With a little troubleshooting, you may be able to determine the cause of your trouble. If you use multiple phones in your home and you lose dial tone on one phone, try plugging a different phone into the jack in question. If your dial tone returns, then you likely have a defective phone. If the dial tone is still gone, you may have a bad jack. To report a loss of dial you can call us at 800.461.3956, you can contact technical support at 888.247.5119 or you can email us at custserv@shawneetel.com

 

BILL PAY/COSTS

 

“How does your billing cycle run?”

We bill for the month you are in. Our bills are due on the 21st of the month and apply to the next calendar month. Customers typically receive their bill during the first week of the month that is being billed.

 

“When do you disconnect for non-payment?”

Unfortunately, we do disconnect for non-payment. Three business days after bills are due, we print and mail late notices. We do non-payment disconnects on the second Tuesday of each month. All non-payment disconnects are subject to a $20 reconnect fee.

 

“What is the reconnection process?”

The easiest way to restore your service is to call 800.461.3956 and a customer service representative can assist you in making payment arrangements to get your service restored.

 

“What are the different ways I can pay my bill?”

You can pay your bill six different ways:

1. A visit to one of our local offices can facilitate cash, check, money order and credit or debit card payments.

2. Checks and money orders can be mailed to:

Shawnee Communications,
PO Box 69,
Equality, IL 62934

Or

Shawnee Communications,
PO Box 350,
Lovington, IL 61937

3. You can also pay online. Visit https://ebill.shawnee.com/ and enter your account number and password. (Note: Customers who pay online require a customer care username and password that is different from their e-mail username and password. If you are not signed up for ebilling you will need the invoice number from your most current bill and amount due, then you can set up an account.).

4. You can sign up for Quick Pay, which will automatically deduct payments from your checking account or from your credit card.

5. You can call and pay over the phone with a credit or debit card.

6. You may also drop your payment off at Banterra Bank locations in Cave In Rock, Elizabethtown, Golconda or Rosiclare.

 

“If I sign up to have my bill automatically paid by my checking account or credit card, how long before it takes effect?”

If you return your information to us before the 21st of the month, your next bill will be deducted from your specified account. If your information is returned after the 21st of the month, it will take two months for the quick pay to take effect.

Example: If your information is returned to us on May 15th, your June bill will be deducted from your account. However, if your information is returned to us on May 29th, your July bill will be deducted from your account.

 

“If I set up for auto pay, what time of the month will my account be charged?”

Subscribers can elect to have their Credit card or checking accounts be charged on the 5th or 20th of the month.

 

“How would I change my service address?”

To ensure a seamless move in your service, we will require key pieces of information. Please call us or visit our office to provide us with all of the information.

 

“I have a question about my bill. Whom do I call?”

For any questions about your bill, please call our Business Office at 800.461.3956 and a customer service representative will help you. Please have a copy of your bill on hand, as we’ll need billing account information to properly assist you.

 

“What are the charges for calling within Shawnee Communications exchanges?”

If you are calling any Shawnee Communications number from a Shawnee Communications number, the call is absolutely free. Shawnee Communications does not charge for intra-exchange calls.

 

“If I go on an extended vacation or am away for the winter months, does Shawnee Communications offer vacation rates or temporary disconnection?”

Yes, we do offer a vacation rate! Vacation Rate allows you to reserve your telephone number and directory listing at a reduced rate while you are away for an extended period of time. Your telephone service will be temporarily disconnected while you are away, thus preventing fraudulent use of your phone service in your absence.

 

“I am on a fixed income. Is there assistance available to help me reduce my phone bill?”

Yes. If you are a residential telephone customer and you participate in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance/Section 8, Veterans Pension & Survivors Benefit Program or if the total household income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG), you may be eligible for the Lifeline discount. For more information regarding your eligibility for Lifeline assistance, please contact our Business Office at 800.461.3956 or email us at custserv@shawneetel.com and a customer service representative will help you.

 

“What is your return/refund policy?”

Shawnee Communications is a utility provider and does not sell items that can be returned.  The remainder of any payments made that exceed a customers’ existing balance will be applied as a credit toward the following month’s statement.  If a customer terminates service, all credits will be refunded to the customer as our earliest convenience.

 

“Do you have secure checkout?”

You can shop at www.shawnee.com with confidence. We have partnered with Card Connect, to accept credit cards and electronic check payments safely and securely for our customers.

The Card Connect Payment Gateway manages the complex routing of sensitive customer information through the electronic check and credit card processing networks.

Authorize.Net adheres to strict industry standards for payment processing, including:

  • 128-bit Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology for secure Internet Protocol (IP) transactions.
  • Industry leading encryption hardware and software methods and security protocols to protect customer information.
  • Compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

For additional information regarding the privacy of your sensitive cardholder data, please read the Card Connect Privacy Policy.

 

FIBER TO THE HOME

 

“What is Fiber to the Home (FTTH)?”

FTTH is a new technology that uses fiber optic cable instead of copper cable to deliver telephone, data (Internet) and video services. Fiber optic cables have the capacity for an indefinite amount of data, which is becoming a necessity in today’s world.

 

“How will FTTH be installed at my house?”

Our installation process has evolved to keep up with emerging technologies.  Our construction team will bury a fiber drop from our mainline cable to your home and will mount a fiber enclosure on the side of your home or business to serve as the connection point for the incoming fiber and the fiber that we will run inside to the ONT.  To ensure optimum WIFI coverage, our technician will work with you to determine the best place to install your ONT and wireless router.  A battery backup will also be installed to provide power to the ONT for nearly 7 hours.

 

“How will FTTH benefit me?”

A Fiber-based network provides faster speeds, better voice telephone call clarity and is more reliable than a copper-based network.  Because Fiber can transmit virtually unlimited amounts of data, Shawnee’s network is “future-proof”.  In addition to upgraded performance, Fiber services add an additional 3.5% to residential property values!

 

CPNI

 

“What is CPNI and why do I have to have a password to obtain my billing information?”

CPNI stands for Customer Proprietary Network Information. The FCC has implemented new regulations to protect the privacy of your information contained in your Shawnee Communications account. The new regulations allow us to discuss account information with only the person(s) listed on the account. Also, we must be able to authenticate inquiring individuals by requiring a PIN or an answer to a backup authentication question.

 

“I forgot my PIN, how can I get a new one?”

Simply call 800.461.3956 and request that a new PIN be sent to you.

 

“I have not established a backup authentication question for my account, how can I do that?”

Simply contact call 800.461.3956 and a CSR will assist you.

 

“In regards to CPNI, what is required of me in order to discuss my account with a Shawnee Communications customer service representative?”

If you are simply dropping off a payment at an office and have your bill, a valid photo ID is not required. If you visit an office without your bill, you must be listed as an authorized person on the account and you must provide a valid photo id.

If you call one of our local offices, you must be listed as an authorized person on the account in question, and you will be asked to provide your PIN. If the correct PIN is given, we can assist you with any questions you may have. If you are not able to give the correct PIN, you will be asked to answer your backup authentication question. If the backup authentication question is correctly answered, we can assist you with any questions you may have. If you are unable to answer the backup authentication question, we will not be permitted to release any account information during the phone call. If a caller cannot provide the correct PIN or answer the backup authentication question, the only remaining option to assist the caller is for the Shawnee Communications CSR to place a call to the phone number for the account in question and ask to speak with the person listed on the account. Once we reach an authorized person listed on the account, we can disclose account information.

 

 

TECHNICAL SUPPORT/TROUBLESHOOTING/E-MAIL

 

“How do I contact Shawnee Communications technical support?”

Shawnee Communication’s 24/7 technical support can be reached by calling 888.247.5119. Customers are encouraged to contact technical support with all problems related to their Internet, landline telephone, and Shawnee e-mail services before calling our offices. The technical support staff has been trained in telecommunications and various computer-related fields, so they are armed with a deep understanding of how our services work and how computers work.

 

“How can we change our Shawnee Communications e-mail username or password?”

Simply call 800.461.3956 and one of our customer service representatives will be happy to make the requested changes. In order to keep our records consistent and customer usernames unique, we perform username and password changes upon request.

 

“What affects my connection speed?”

When you connect to the Internet using a wireless router, the speeds that you experience will vary based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to the following:

  • Distance from your device to the router is one factor, but also consider the construction of your home. WIFI is impeded by metal, such as metal studs and household appliances. If your WIFI signal strength is poor, relocating it may help to ensure a positive experience.

  • The number of devices connected to your router. Routers will not simultaneously connect an infinite number of devices.
  • Having users trying to use more bandwidth than what your plan provides. For example, if you have a 10 Mbps connection and a user is trying to stream 4K Ultra HD content, that’s not going to work. 4K Ultra HD requires a 25 Mbps minimum to work, so having a plan that matches your consumption is critical.
  • Unavailability of the site or app you are trying to connect to. Unfortunately, not everything on the Internet is up 100% of the time. Sometimes, connection to Netflix, Hulu or other sites is restricted by circumstances beyond the control of Shawnee or our customers.

 

“What should I do when I am told to ‘check my user name and password’ when I try to log in to my e-mail account?”

Make sure that the user name and password you’re typing is correct. Remember that your password is case sensitive and requires at least one capital and one lowercase letter. Try re-typing your user name and password, but when you do, make sure that the “Caps Lock” hasn’t been accidentally activated. If the problem persists, contact technical support for assistance.

 

“What are the noticeable effects of spyware?”

Spyware may affect your computer in many different ways. The most common signs are as follows:

  • Your homepage may be changed to something that you didn’t set it to and you may have difficulty changing it back.
  • New toolbars or search engines may be installed in Internet Explorer. • Pop-up advertising may take over your computer.
  • You may encounter strange problems with Windows programs (overall slowness, strange errors, program problems, etc.).
  • Ports may be blocked on your Internet connection that would prohibit some Internet applications from functioning.

 

“What is “Spam”?”

Spam is the common term for the unsolicited and commercial e-mail version of junk mail. “Spam” can also be a verb, used to describe the method of flooding the Internet with many copies of the same message. The term “spam” has a negative connotation. In addition to being unsolicited and annoying, spam e-mails often include advertisements for dubious products, get-rich-quick schemes, or semi-legal services.

 

“How did my e-mail address get on a spam list? Does Shawnee Communications sell my e-mail address?”

Shawnee Communications respects the privacy of our customers and does not sell or distribute e-mail addresses. There are many ways that spammers harvest and collect e-mail addresses to build their lists. You should always be mindful of the websites that you give your e-mail address to. Sometimes your e-mail address can end up on a list without exposing your address whatsoever. It’s common practice for spammers to guess at potentially valid addresses by taking a common username and adding valid domains to it. For example, chances are there will be a “bob@” at just about any provider’s domain.

It is not a good idea to request removal from a spammers mailing list. That would only confirm that your address is valid, and more than likely, result in you getting even more spam. 

 

Quality Guarantee

 

“Quality Guarantee”

Subject to certain exclusions and limitations, Shawnee Communications Company guarantees it will:

Install regulated basic local exchange service within 5 days after receipt of an order from a customer, Restore regulated basic local exchange service within 24 hours of receiving notice that a customer’s telephone service is out-of-service,
Keep all repair and installation appointments for regulated basic local exchange service when a customer premises visit requires the customer to be present, unless Shawnee Communications Company provides 24 hours notice of its inability to keep the appointment.

If Shawnee Communications Company fails to achieve these guarantees, you may be eligible for a credit or other relief. Shawnee Communications Company will automatically figure the credit and apply it to your next bill – there is no need to call the company to receive a credit.

In the event that Shawnee Communications Company fails to install basic regulated local exchange service within 10 days after receipt of an order, or if Shawnee Telephone Company fails to restore basic local exchange service within 120 hours of receiving notice that your basic local exchange service is out-of-service, you may be eligible for additional credits or alternative telephone service.

If the failure to achieve these objectives is due to an emergency situation or certain other causes specified in applicable Illinois Commerce Commission Rules, no credit is required. If you have any questions about Shawnee Communications Company Service Quality Guarantees, you may call 800.461.3956.