Help Center

Frequently Asked Questions

• What do I need to do when moving within or into the Lumos service area?

  We make it easy to move into and within our service area. We have local, friendly, knowledgeable representatives ready to help make your transition go smoothly and ensure you have the services you need when you need them.

  Learn more about moving service or contact us for assistance.

• How do I find out if fiber is available in my neighborhood?

  To see if fiber is available in your area, check your address here. If fiber isn’t available, you’ll see a form to sign up for our mailing list. Signing up lets us know you’re interested. The more people who request service in an area, the better idea we have about where to bring fiber next.

• How does fiber differ from cable?

  Fiber Internet and TV are delivered right to your home through light-speed signals over fiber-optic lines. The quality of the signal allows for faster Internet speeds and stunning HD picture. Cable is a compressed signal that transmits over traditional coaxial cable.

• What installation scheduling options do you offer?

  We respect your busy lifestyle. That’s why we offer flexible installation days and hours, including nights and weekends, with friendly techs that show up on time and work efficiently.

• What should I do to prepare for installation?

  To provide you the best installation experience, we may ask you some important questions before scheduling your installation. Make a note of the locations of your existing cable outlets regarding where your TV and Internet hub will be located. Also, customers need to be present during the installation process. For more information, call us at 336.886.3600.

• Are Internet speeds guaranteed at all times?

  While Lumos’s Fiber Internet is fast, no Internet service provider can guarantee full-published speed at all times. Internet service providers promote Service Capability Speeds, which are the downstream rates at which your line transfers Internet access data between the network interface device at your location to the first piece of routing equipment in your provider’s network. Service Capability Speeds should not be confused with Throughput Speed, which is the speed at which your modem receives and sends Internet access data (“Throughput Speed”). These speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. Throughput speed depends upon many factors, including: customer location; destination and traffic on the Internet; interference with high frequency spectrum on telephone lines; wiring inside your facilities or the capacity or performance of your computer or modem; the server with which you are communicating; internal network factors and the networks you and others are using when communicating. For more information on Internet speeds, see our see our Business Acceptable Use & Network Management Policy.

• What is fiber to the home (FTTH)?

  Fiber to the home is the fastest and most reliable technology available today to access the Internet. Below you can watch an informative video produced by the International Fiber to the Home Council explaining the many benefits of fiber.

• Why do Upload Speeds matter?

  The ability to transfer information quickly and seamlessly can mean the difference between business failure and success. Businesses that overlook the need for faster upload speeds can suffer delays of important information transfers and resulting negative business consequences. Examples of business documents and data that take more bandwidth for uploading are medical imaging, legal documents, financial transactions, graphic images such as PDFs, images, advertising files and others. The greater your upload speeds, the more efficient and effective your business can be.

• What does custom installation involve?

  If the existing wiring cannot be used in your home and you request more than the standard installation, the installer will advise you of the cost prior to doing the work required. A custom installation may require the installer to pull wires through the walls of your home. This is known as “fishing.” This process can be difficult and take considerable time to complete. Wall fishing can only be completed on walls that do not contain insulation. Depending on the construction of your home, there may be insulation in some interior walls. Your installer will advise you of your options prior to beginning your installation and provide you with an estimate of the services required.

  Lumos installers will not move or add outlets to rental properties without the written consent of the landlord or owner of the property. It is up to the subscriber to have all written permissions in hand at the time of installation. For more information about custom installations, call us at 336.886.3600.

• Are Internet download and upload speeds guaranteed at all times?

  Lumos manages its network with the goal of delivering a fast, safe and uncompromised fiber Internet experience to all of its customers. We strive to provision a customer’s connection up to the maximum advertised speed, but actual speed experienced by the customer will vary based on multiple factors such as the condition of wiring inside a specific location, the electromagnetic interference on the customer’s line, general Internet backbone configurations, computer configuration, network or Internet congestion, and the server speeds of websites accessed. These variables can cause the fiber service to perform at less than maximum advertised speeds. For more information about how Lumos manages its network, please see Terms and Conditions.

• What are Mbps, kbps and Gbps?

  Internet speeds are measured by the volume of information you can download and upload per second while you are on the Internet. How much content you can upload or download is measured in “bits”. Gbps stands for Gigabits per second. A Gigabit is 1000 megabits. Mbps stands for Megabits per second. A Megabit is 1 million bits. Kbps is short for kilobits per second. A kilobit is 1,000 bits per second. The greater the size of your network, the faster your network is able to transmit large pieces of data and information.

• Does Lumos offer accessibility features for disabled persons?

  Yes.

  Webmail Accessiblity: click on this link for details.

  Digital Content Accessibility: click on this link for details.

• Will my phone service work during an electrical outage?

  If you have Lumos’s Fiber Voice service, electricity is required to power your phone. Lumos does offer a battery backup option. With a fully-charged battery, you will have 8 hours of backup battery power for emergency voice services, including Emergency 911 service. For an additional charge multiple batteries may be purchased to provide up to 24 hours of backup battery power. Please talk to one of our service representatives for more information about our battery backup option.

  There are a number of considerations to make as you consider whether or not to purchase battery backup service from Lumos.

  • Since your Fiber Voice service requires electric power to operate, during a power outage you will not be able to make or receive calls without a backup power source or an alternative like a cell phone.
  • The Battery Backup solution provided by Lumos is only intended to be used with Lumos’s Fiber Voice service and will not power cordless phones, other devices, including those that assist customers with disabilities or home security systems, or your Internet or TV service.
  • During a power outage, please use your voice service only for emergency calls to preserve your battery power. Lumos will not provide credits and is not liable for service interruptions due to power outages.
  • There may be other commercially available sources of backup power, such as a generator or an uninterruptible power source that may provide backup power for your voice service. Please consult the manufacturers of those types of devices for more information about their functions and capabilities.

  Click here for product specifications.

• How fast is Fiber Internet from Lumos Business?

  Lumos offers multiple symmetrical and asymmetrical premium Internet speeds up to 5 Gbps.

• What Internet Speed is best for my business?

  Take an inventory of how your business uses the Web throughout a typical month. How many individuals will need to access to Internet at once? Do you and your employees mostly perform light email communications and online research? Does your business rely on the speedy transmission of credit card transactions or need to engage in video conferencing or upload and transfer large files? Faster speeds will help you accomplish more in less time and deliver better customer service as well allow you to grow. For many businesses, a faster connection is a competitive edge. For a complimentary consultation on your business’ Internet speed needs, call us at 336-886-3600.

• What is the difference between Traditional Voice and Cloud Voice™?

  Traditional Voice operates off the world’s traditional wireline telephone network, which consists of a global net of telephone lines, fiber-optic cables, microwave transmission, communications satellites and undersea telephone cables connected by switching centers. Today’s telephones and telephone systems are quite sophisticated and have a host of technologically advanced capabilities. Lumos’s Cloud Voice™ is a Hosted IP voice, solution—it uses the Internet and cloud technology as the transmission medium for making calls. It also integrates voice, fax and email communications. To learn more about traditional and Cloud Voice options call us at 336-886-3600.

• Which Voice solution is right for my business?

  Today’s Traditional Voice has many robust features and is widely known for its reliability. T1/PRI/ISDN Voice Service offers business customers extremely flexible service as the lines may carry Direct Inward Dial (DID) traffic, incoming 800 service, long distance calls as well as outgoing calls dynamically. Hosted voice solutions like Cloud Voice are part of your Internet connection and thus very economical. Each business has different needs and different resources, so their choices will differ. A Lumos Business Representative can help you assess your needs and determine the best solution for you. To have one contact you, click here or call 336-886-3600.

• What are T1, ISDN and PRI forms of Voice Communications?

  T1/PRI/ISDN Voice is a phone service used for carrying voice and data transmissions in a digital format. T1 meets the needs of businesses having multiple users on a system requiring fast speed and broad bandwidth. A full T1 can accommodate as many as 24 users working at one time. PRI is a telecommunications standard that means Primary Rate Interface. It describes how the 24 channels of a T1 are split into 23 “B” channels for Voice and 1 “D” channel for control signals.

• What can I do about unwanted robocalls?

  Lumos is very concerned about the number of suspected illegal and unwanted robocalls calls our customers receive and the potential harmful impact they can cause. Everyday, scammers use the telephone to try and trick people out of money or obtain access to personal information. To help you and your family avoid becoming a victim of unwanted and potentially unlawful robocalls, we encourage all customers to read the FCC’s tips and tools to combat robocalls.  Click on this link for details.

• What is the Broadcast Surcharge on my bill?

  Lumos, as well as all TV providers, pays fees to broadcasters so we can televise their programming to you. Since 2014 the fees Lumos pays to broadcasters have increased almost 100% and these increases have come from practically all broadcasters. The Broadcast Surcharge paid by all Lumos video customers offsets a portion of those increases. We negotiate to keep these costs down and continually evaluate the popularity of channels versus the cost to carry them. By showing Broadcast Surcharge on your bill we want to be sure you’re aware of where these price increases come from. More information can be found at www.TVonmyside.com

• My business is on a tight budget. Is a business phone system really necessary?

  Today, some small businesses starting out begin with a single mobile (cell) phone. It doesn’t take long for smart small business owners to realize that a professional phone system and communications will be a critical part of their growth and success. Small businesses need advanced phone systems as much as larger businesses do in order to compete and grow. They also need affordable voice solutions that are suited to their unique operational needs and designed to grow with them. Lumos has small business voice solutions that are extremely flexible, scalable for growth and affordable. To find an affordable solution to help take your small business to the next level call us at 336-886-3600.

• What kind of installation will I need for Fiber TV?

  There are two ways to have your Fiber TV installed: standard and custom. Standard installation includes using existing wiring in your home. Custom installation involves custom wiring. Most residences require standard installation.

• What should I do if I am experiencing technical issues with Closed Captioning?

  If you are experiencing technical issues with closed captioning and require immediate assistance, please call 336-886-3600, email closedcaptioning@northstate.net, or fax 336-884-9339.

  Address written complaints to T. Pressley, Manager-External Affairs, PO Box 2326, High Point, NC 27261.