What is the BBU Maintenance Plan? 
The fee is to cover your Battery Backup Unit’s on going maintenance, upgrades and battery replacement.
There are two options for fee/plan: (1) $1.95/mo. for a unit that lasts 8-hours in a power outage or (2) $5.95 per month for a unit that lasts 24-hours in a power outage.
This applies to customers with fiber-optic phone and Internet service, not to those on copper-based services.
Why is this being charged? The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) made new rulings in December of 2015 that phone companies that supply fiber-optic based phone services are required to offer an 8-hour battery backup option to customers who request it. This allows for your fiber phone service to continue to function properly during a power outage for 8 hours. As of February 13,
To ensure our fiber customers have the most consistent voice service possible, we install an 8-hour Battery Backup Unit so your phone services work properly if the power goes out. We charge a standard, modest $1.95 maintenance fee to handle the ongoing maintenance and replacement of your battery, as
I don’t have Fiber services. Will I be charged? No. This only applies to customers who have fiber-optic based phone/internet.
Is the $1.95 or $5.95 BBU Maintenance Plan required? No. You may opt-out of having any BBU Maintenance Plan fee.
If you opt out, then you will be totally responsible for any ongoing maintenance, upgrades and battery replacement costs.
What are the risks if I decide to opt-out of having the BBU monthly maintenance coverage? If you choose not to pay the monthly battery backup maintenance plan fee with your fiber-optic phone (and Internet services), you take the risk of your phone services not working during a power outage. However, ITS Fiber highly recommends you have the BBU maintenance plan to avoid paying for a replacement battery, a replacement unit or the cost of installing either of those.
If you opt out of having the monthly $1.95 or $5.95 fee, then you will be responsible to pay ITS Fiber for the battery replacement at the current retail prices or for repairs, if required. All batteries purchased from ITS Fiber are under manufacturer's standard warranty.
The current fees for a replacement battery from ITS Fiber are:
$29.95 – 8-hour battery
$179.95 – 24-hour battery
$119.95 – 8-hour battery + Installation
$279.95 – 24-hour battery + Installation
The current fees for a Battery Backup Unit (case) w/new battery from ITS Fiber are:
$79.95 – BBU w/8-hour battery
$239.95 – BBU w/24-hour battery
$189.95 – BBU w/8-hour battery + Installation
$359.95 – BBU w/24-hour battery + Installation
If I opt-out of the BBU monthly maintenance, how often do I replace battery? If you maintain and replace the batteries yourself it is recommended that you replace the battery every 2 to 3 years or when the indicator light on the unit shows that it is low or out of charge. Also, keeping your unit in temperatures above 41 degrees F and below 104 degrees F helps maintain battery life.
I have a contract with you. Do I still get this fee? Yes. If you are in bundle service agreement for fiber telephone and/or high-speed Internet, you will be charged the $1.95 fee for an 8-hour battery backup unit by default unless you choose to “opt out”. The upgraded 24-hour battery backup at $5.95 is an option and you need to request it.
What is included in the BBU Maintenance fee of $1.95 or $5.95? New fiber customers or customers upgrading to fiber services receive an installation of an 8-hour Battery Backup Unit (BBU) for no additional charge to standard installation fees, if applicable.
BBU Maintenance Plan includes:
