Lumen is moving toward the end of sale of its business voice services.
What CenturyLink and Qwest business customers should know.
Nothing is being shut off today. But if your phones run on Lumen, now is the time to plan where they go next, on your schedule instead of Lumen's.
This is not a shutoff notice. Lumen says there is no immediate change to current service, and it has not set a decommissioning date.
What Lumen says
In Lumen's own words, from its communication services page.
What it covers
Lumen says this applies to its "commercial, enterprise, wholesale, and public sector voice and VoIP products." Mass Markets (residential and small business accounts) is excluded.
What happens now
Lumen says there is "no immediate change to your current service, and no action is required on your part to continue receiving services as contracted."
When
Lumen says it does not have a decommissioning date "because the timing is not yet known," and that timing varies by product, state and the contracts that apply.
Not sure which kind of account you have?
Send us a recent CenturyLink or Lumen bill. We'll tell you whether the end of sale applies to it, list every line and what it does, and show you what we'd move each one to.
Mass Markets is defined in Lumen's annual report as its residential and small business customers.
Or call 623-307-5548
Separately: Lumen's FCC copper filings
Apart from the end of sale, Lumen has filed with the FCC to discontinue legacy voice service in parts of several states, with dates attached. Those filings name areas, not addresses.
What to do now
There is no deadline yet, which makes this the easiest time to move: no rush and no outage.
Find what you have
Pull a recent CenturyLink or Lumen bill. Note each phone number, what it is used for, and when your contract ends.
Find what depends on it
Phones are the obvious part. Alarm panels, elevator phones, fax lines, gate call boxes and card terminals are the lines people forget.
Pick replacements
Phones usually move to a cloud phone system. Alarm, elevator and fax lines move to a line replacement like Ooma AirDial.
Move on your schedule
Numbers can be ported to the new service, so customers keep calling the same numbers. Leave time for the port and for testing.
How we help
One line or the whole account, we handle the carriers, the installs and the testing.
- Read your bill and list every line and what it does
- Move your phones to RingCentral and port your numbers
- Replace alarm, elevator and fax lines with Ooma AirDial
- Find internet options at your address if your internet is Lumen too
- Test everything before anything on the Lumen account is cancelled
See also: business phone systems by industry and Ooma AirDial.
Talk to usQuestions we get about Lumen
Is Lumen shutting off my business phone service?
Not now. Lumen says there is no immediate change to current service and no action is needed to keep receiving services as contracted. It is moving toward the end of sale of its business voice products, and says it does not have a decommissioning date yet.
Does this affect small businesses?
Lumen's notice covers its commercial, enterprise, wholesale and public sector voice and VoIP products, and excludes Mass Markets. In Lumen's annual report, Mass Markets is its residential and small business customers. If you are not sure which side your account is on, send us a bill and we'll tell you.
Can I keep my phone numbers?
Yes. Business numbers can be ported to a new provider. The port needs a letter of authorization and a recent bill, and usually takes a few days to a few weeks depending on the number of lines.
Is this the same as the FCC copper retirement filings?
No. Separately, Lumen has filed with the FCC to discontinue legacy voice service in parts of several states. Those filings name areas and dates. You can check yours with our phone line retirement check.
What about my alarm and elevator lines?
Those usually need a line replacement rather than a phone system. We use Ooma AirDial, which keeps existing alarm panels, elevator phones and fax machines working over cellular with battery backup.
Check your location
Let us take a look.
Give us the service address and basic contact information. We'll use it to determine what business connectivity options are available.