About Xplornet Home Phone

How is Xplornet Home Phone different from my landline phone service?

Xplornet Home Phone is a phone service that works through your Xplornet Internet connection, rather than working through standard landline telephone wires. We provide you with the Xplornet Hub so you can connect your phone with your Xplornet Internet connection. Although Xplornet Home Phone works just like a traditional landline phone service, it’s better because you’ll get more features at a lower price.

Do I need a special type of phone to use the Xplornet Home Phone service?

No, you don’t need anything special. Any regular phone will work. We recommend that you plug your cordless phone base station into the Xplornet Hub that we provide to use phone handsets throughout the house.

Do I need a specific Xplornet Internet plan to get Xplornet Home Phone?

Xplornet Home Phone works with most of our Internet plans. As long as you have an active Xplornet connection on one of the available platforms, then any service plan will work.

Can I still make and receive calls if my power or Internet goes out?

Xplornet Home Phone works with your Xplornet Internet service and during an interruption to Internet service, your Xplornet Home Phone will not be able to make or receive calls.

Does data usage from Xplornet Home Phone count towards my Xplornet Internet plan’s monthly data amount?

Yes, it does, though the amount of data used by Xplornet Home Phone is very small. For an average Canadian household that spends about 400 minutes (or just over 3½ hours) on the phone per month, only about 250 MB – or 0.25 GB – of data would be used.

Will Xplornet Home Phone work with my home security system?

We do not recommend Xplornet Home Phone for use with a home security system that relies on a phone line to connect to a central monitoring service. We recommend that you use your Xplornet Home Phone as your primary phone line in the house and maintain a basic landline phone service with the telephone company for the home security system, with no features or long-distance package to help keep monthly costs low.

Does Philips Lifeline work with Xplornet Home Phone?

No, Philips indicates that Lifeline should not be used with VoIP services. We do not recommend Xplornet Home Phone for use at a home that relies on the Lifeline service.

Can I choose a phone number from any city?

You can choose a phone number from any city or town across Canada where we offer numbers. For example, you can live in New Brunswick and choose a number from Alberta. So, Alberta would be your home province and your local calling area, even though you’re in New Brunswick!

Can I keep my current phone number?

In most cases, you can bring your existing phone number over to Xplornet Home Phone. You can check if your number can be used with Xplornet Home Phone using the simple lookup tool available on our website.

How long does it take to switch my current phone number to Xplornet Home Phone?

The switch will take about 15 days to complete, depending on your current phone service provider. When you sign up for Xplornet Home Phone, you’ll receive a temporary phone number that you can use right away to make and receive calls. When the transfer is complete, your current phone number will permanently replace the temporary one.

Can I bring my toll free (800, 866, 877) numbers to Xplornet Home Phone?

No, Xplornet Home Phone is designed for residential phone use.

How is Xplornet Home Phone 9-1-1 different from traditional 9-1-1 services?

There are important differences between traditional 9-1-1 services and VoIP phone emergency 9-1-1 services such as those offered as part of Xplornet Home Phone. Please see this page for more information.

Will the Xplornet Home Phone Hub work with Internet services from other providers?

Xplornet Home Phone can only be activated when connected to your Xplornet Internet service. Once the Xplornet Home Phone is activated, it can be used with Internet services from other providers; however, we cannot guarantee the quality of the Home Phone service and are unable to provide technical support should you have any service issues. If the Internet service from the other provider is at a different physical location from your Xplornet Internet service, please also update your 9-1-1 address.

How do I update my 9-1-1 address?

Please sign in to the My Xplornet customer portal and click on the Manage Home Phone Features link.

Keeping your 9-1-1 address up to date is important because Xplornet will use the address you have provided us in the event you need 9-1-1 services. So, we suggest you always keep your physical location up to date, especially if you move homes or bring your Xplornet Hub to another address, such as a cottage. Please use your civic address, which contains a street name, number, direction (if applicable) and the city.

How do I find my civic address?

Please contact your local town hall or municipality directly for assistance.