December 2015 - Kingdom Telephone

The
Connection
A Kingdom Telephone Company Publication
December 2015
New BroadTrack Plans: All of the Speed You Need
Internet users today demand faster speeds and higher bandwidth
as they head online with more devices than ever before. Kingdom
has responded to this need with updated BroadTrack High Speed
Internet plans that accommodate the way we use technology today. Residential plans now start with BroadTrack Gold with downloads of up to 5 Mbps and uploads of up to 1 Mbps. The lowest
speed plans have been eliminated to reflect new FCC standards
for high speed Internet. Our fastest plan is one gigabit…blazing
fast, and currently available to Kingdom Telephone customers in
our fiber areas of Hatton and Tebbetts.
MAKING LIFE BETTER
How much speed do you need? The answer varies from person to person. There are a number of factors
to take into consideration, such as how many devices there are in your home, how you plan to use the
Internet, and how you expect it to perform. If your Internet usage is limited to checking e-mail and surfing,
a lower speed connection will work out fine. If you have multiple family members who will use multiple
devices for video and music streaming, gaming, and other activities, a higher bandwidth connection will be
a more comfortable fit for you. If you find slower load times and videos that buffer frequently intolerable,
you will want to choose the higher speed connection.
With an Internet filled with video-rich broadband applications and services, speed is indeed of the essence.
We make it easy for you to take advantage of our new plans with our on-going Jump 1, Jump 2 promotion.
If you upgrade your Internet plan 1 level, you’ll get 3 months at the original price. Even better, Jump 2 levels! You’ll get 3 months at the original price; then 3 months at the next level rate before the standard price
kicks in. Call us today at 573-386-2241.
Residential Plan
Speed
Cost per Month
Type of Connection
BroadTrack Gold
5 Mbps/1 Mbps
$44.95
Copper, Fiber
BroadTrack 10
10 Mbps/1 Mbps
$71.95
Copper, Fiber
BroadTrack 50
50 Mbps/50 Mbps
$89.95
Fiber
BroadTrack 100
100 Mbps/100 Mbps
$95.00
Fiber
BroadTrack 500
500 Mbps/500 Mbps
$105.00
Fiber
BroadTrack 1 Gig
1 Gbps/1 Gbps
$125.00
Fiber
THE GOOD TIMES ROLL AT THE OPEN HOUSE
The Open House, held on September 25, gives us an opportunity to treat our customers to a good time and show our
appreciation for their business and support. Everyone seems to relax and enjoy the big party held in the parking lot at
our headquarters, and we are generally blessed with lovely weather. This year, hungry visitors munched on bratwurst,
hot dogs, and kettle corn. Everyone who attended received a Jump One t-shirt and had a chance to win a special prize.
Congratulations to prize winners: Aloysius Grotewiel – Kindle Fire; Rachelle Willis – Bag and Clutch; Kristy Hill – Goody
Basket; and Tyler Schubert – Kids’ Basket of Fun. Other events included a fiber splicing demonstration and a visit from
Missouri One Call.
Above: Jumping Jackie the Kangaroo
photobombs two customers at the Internet
booth. Above center: Customers lunched
on bratwurst, hot dogs and chips. Above
right: CSR Kathy Huddleston explains the
fine points of Skitter TV. Bottom left: A
couple shares lunch with their furry friends.
Bottom right: Kettle corn is always a popular attraction.
2016 BOARD NOMINATING COMMITTEE SELECTED
The Board of Directors appointed the committee to
nominate board candidates for the 2016 election at a
meeting held on November 12, 2015.
Members of the nominating committee are:
Scott Whalen, At Large: Northern exchange, 386-5748
Ronald Sommer, At Large: Northern exchange, 387-4475
Jeffrey Wiseman, Hatton exchange, 387-4659
Bennie E. Young, Hatton exchange, 387-4376
Jerome Schaefer, Rhineland exchange, 236-4366
Otto J. Mayer, Rhineland exchange, 236-4526
Our bylaws describe three methods of nomination:
1. Selection by the nominating committee. If you are interested in becoming a candidate for Board membership,
contact a member of the nominating committee before
January 5, 2016. The committee will meet on January 5
at 6:30 p.m. at the business office.
2. Nomination by petition. Petitions must be signed by
fifteen or more shareholders and delivered to the business office by 5:00 p.m., January 25, 2016.
3. Nomination from the floor. You may nominate a candidate from the floor at the Annual Meeting.
RELAY MISSOURI SERVES HEARING AND SPEECH IMPAIRED
Relay Missouri provides telephone
access to deaf, hard of hearing, and
speech disabled individuals. The
relay user communicates aided by
some kind of assistive technology,
such as a teletype write device
(TTY) or voice carry-over phone
(VCO phone). Relay Missouri becomes their voice and ears. In this
way, the relay user’s communication can be clearly shared with anyone
they choose to call or who calls them. The operator voices everything
typed and types everything said.
Relay Missouri is provided at no charge. There are no sign-up or monthly
fees; there is no need to change telephone service; and there is no charge
for the use of the operator. If the call is long distance, the user will be
billed for those charges by their regular long distance carrier.
Relay Missouri is available 24 hours, seven days a week. Just dial 7-1-1
or call the Relay Customer Service Hotline at 800-676-3777 to reach the
type of relay needed. Relay users with different access needs are accommodated. All Relay Missouri calls are strictly private. No records of any
conversations are maintained. Learn more online at http://www.kingdomtelco.com/relay-missouri.html.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
& EXCHANGES
President
Mike Love, Auxvasse
Vice-President
Eugene Richards, Tebbetts
Secretary/Treasurer
Doug Lensing, Rhineland
Jim Hughes, Hatton
Gene Eldringhoff, Big Spring
Randy Lee Smith, At Large: Northern
Glen Horstman, At Large: Southern
Jim Buffington, Mokane
Jim Blacklock, Williamsburg
General Manager, Renee’ Reeter
FRS SCHOLARSHIPS SUPPORT HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
RURAL STUDENTS
The Foundation for Rural Service
(FRS) offers an annual college
scholarship program to help further higher education among rural
youth. FRS awards 30 one-time
$2,500 scholarships to students
from rural America for their first
year of college, university or
vocational-technical school. Each
student is sponsored by an NTCA member company. FRS funds $2,000
of each scholarship, and the sponsoring company awards the remaining
$500. The FRS college Scholarship Program encourages students to return
to their rural communities upon completing their education.
Seniors whose parents are Kingdom Telephone or Kingdom Technology
Solutions customers may apply by obtaining an application from their
guidance counselor. Forms may also be downloaded from the FRS web
site at www.frs.org. All applications should be sent directly to FRS and
must be postmarked no later than March 1, 2016. Winners will be announced by May 1, 2016.
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT
OUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES
(573) 386-2241 or (800) 487-4811
OFFICE HOURS
Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
The business office will be closed on
the following holidays.
• December 24 & 25 - Christmas
• January 1 - New Year’s Day
• February 15 - President’s Day
eStatement and eBill:
Fast and Convenient Ways to Pay
Using eBill Mobile
The eBill Mobile app by Innovative Systems is
downloadable from the platform stores listed below. Look for the eBill Mobile icon shown here.
Save time, save a stamp and never be late. Those are
the benefits of paying your monthly Kingdom bill online with Kingdom eStatement.
With Credit Card Automatic, we’ll automatically pay
your bill on the 10th of each month using the card
information you give us when signing up.
If you prefer to pay from your bank account, choose
Bank Deduction Automatic. The correct payment
will be automatically withdrawn on the 10th of each
month from your checking account, using the account
information you supply when signing up.
If you want more control, choose Credit Card You
Authorize. Go to the eStatement payment page online
and pay your bill by manually entering your credit card
information each month.
The eStatement program also offers online statements
you can organize, sort and print. That will help you
manage things…like your Kingdom Long Distance
usage. You can look at your current bill, view previous
bills and sort call details in several different formats.
To register, click on the Pay My Bill tab on the bottom
of the website home page and follow the simple steps.
As an added bonus, Kingdom eStatement customers
who choose paperless billing receive a 75¢ credit
every month!
When you’re on the go, use the eBill Mobile app. The
app is available for Apple and Android platforms. It’s a
free and convenient way to submit payments using a
credit card stored on file in the Kingdom billing system. Like eStatement, eBill lets you access your usage,
as well as current and past invoices. Follow the easy
directions on the right to get started or call 386-2241
for assistance.
eBill Mobile
Innovations Systems LLC
Sign In Information
URL: kingdomtelco.com
Username <eStatement Web Username>
Password <eStatement Web Password>
Please note, if you choose paperless billing and
use eBill, you are eligible for a 75¢ bill credit.
JUMP 1
JUMP 2
…and pocket the savings!
BroadTrack Internet Subscribers,
Go ahead, Jump 1! Upgrade your Internet plan 1
level and get 3 months at the original price.
Even better, Jump 2! Upgrade your Internet plan
2 levels and get 3 months at the original price;
then get 3 months at the next level rate before the
standard price kicks in.
Call us today! 573-386-2241