General Questions

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Q. What is a C-Tel 028 number?
A. A C-Tel 028 number functions like a mobile phone number. It costs the same rate to call it no matter where you are in New Zealand. However, calling an 028 number from another C-Tel phone will be free of charge - since all c-tel plans allow 'Unlimited c-tel calling'. The cost of calling an 028 number from a non-c-tel phone will depend on your telephone operator - but the rate should be equivalent to another NZ mobile (or count towards your minute bundle if calling in from a mobile phone)

Q. Can I bring my current phone number to C-Tel?
A. Yes. Please see our Porting Guide for more information

Q. What is a C-Tel local number?
A. A C-Tel local number is tied to a local region within New Zealand. Callers within that local region can call your number for free.

Q. Do I get a voicemail box with every C-Tel phone line?
A. Yes - every C-Tel phone line has its own voicemail box

Q. Does every C-Tel line have its own set of features?
A. Yes - each C-Tel phone and fax line has a separately configurable set of phone or fax features.

Q. How many phone numbers can I have with C-Tel?
A. This is dependent on the plan you choose.

Q. Can I make 111 calls on C-Tel?
A. C-Tel do not support emergency calling. However if you do make a 111 call it will connect if possible. The operator will not know your physical location so you will need to provide this information to them.

Q. How many simultaneous calls can I make through C-Tel? 

A. This depends on which plan you are signed up on. The personal plans page lists the amount of concurrent calls that are available on the personal plans. If more than one person will be making calls at the same time on your C-Tel account then you should consider the Business Plans the number of concurrent calls available on these plans can be seen on the business plans page. If you add additional local (non-028) numbers onto your account then you will get 1 additional concurrent call for each additional number that you add to your account. If you require more simultaneous calls on your account then contact support@c-tel.co.nz and you can purchase additional simultaneous call blocks of 5 to increase the number of calls that can be made on your account.

Q. How much data will my calls use? 
A. This will depend on the codec you use for your calls. We've put together some examples using the most commonly used C-Tel codecs to give you an idea. One thing you need to keep in mind is that calls use data is both directions so you will need to consider both download and upload usage. 

• G.729
  With a G.729 call you should allow at least 240 KB (kilobytes) in each direction per minute of call, or 28.8 MB (Megabytes) per hour in total. This translates to around 170 hours of calls on a 5 GB (Gigabyte) data plan.

• G.711
  With a G.711 call you should allow around 660 KB (kilobytes) in each direction per minute of call, or 79.2 MB (Megabytes) per hour in total. This translates to 63 hours of calls on a 5 GB (Gigabyte) data plan. 

Please note that figures are estimates of the data requirements used for a call using a specified code. Actual requirements can change based on phone usage patterns and your connection type to the internet. DSL plans for example may include additional overheads and usage applied by your service provider. These calculations should only be used as a guide and we take no responsibility for the amount of actual bandwidth used.

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Q. Can I run my home alarm or sky digital across C-Tel?
A. C-Tel do not currently provide support for home alarms or services such as sky digital and St John Alarms

Q. Will my C-Tel service work if there is a power cut?
A. Your C-Tel service requires power to work - your broadband modem and PC will not function without it. However you can use the C-Tel Remote Access services if you have no power at your current location.

Q. Can I use my existing phone with C-Tel?
A. You can use your existing analogue phone if you install an ATA to connect it to your broadband service. You can also use it with any of the Remote Access services.

Q. How do I get access to C-Tel's GPL licensed source code?
A. C-Tel telphone is distributed under the GPL (GNU Public License) as the code is derived directly from the OpenWengo Project.  If you wish to receive a copy of c-tel's modified OpenWengo source code please contact support@c-tel.co.nz and we will provide a link to the source.

Q. How do I publish my C-Tel number in the NZ White Pages?
A. You will need to create a support ticket in the portal.c-tel.co.nz web portal. In the ticket please provide the following listing information:
Name
One Address
One Phone number

Q. How do I contact C-Tel for information or support?
The preferred method of contacting c-tel for support is via a support ticket, since we can keep historical information about each customer on our systems. If you are not currently a customer please send your queries to support@c-tel.co.nz. You can also call us on 09 283  0880.  If you cannot get through to a team member then please leave a message with our answering service and we will return your call.

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