Farmer's Telephone Company provides local and long distance telephone service with a wide variety of services and calling features to choose from.

 

 Local Telephone Service

Since telephone poles and wires were introduced to the area in 1905, we've been connecting citizens of Batavia for their local telephone service. If your new to the area, changed address or need a line for your business, give us a call; most likely, we can connect you on the same day.

A deposit for local service is required prior to activation.

  Long Distance Service

Farmer's Telephone Company offers a variety of long-distance packages with varying minutes, and the option for State or National coverage. Listed below are the latest long-distance packages from Farmer's Telephone Company.

Package Minutes State Option MRC National Option MRC

100 $5.00 $7.00

250 $12.50 $17.50

500 $25.00 $35.00

750 $37.50 $52.50

1000 $50.00 $70.00

Pay As You Go is $.14 per minute.

MRC-Monthly Recurring Charge

  • $0.10 per each additional minute over and/or outside of the plan selected.

  • In the State option, each package of minutes is $.05 in the state and $.10 out of state.

  • In the National option, each package of minutes is $.07 in the state and $.07 out of state.

  • Any minutes used after the package minutes are $.10 per minute. Please call the office, (641) 662-2373, if you are interested in any of these options or if you have questions.

 

Custom Calling Features

Features that come basic with the telephone service.

  • CALL FORWARDING

  • CALL WAITING

  • THREE WAY CALLING

    Call forwarding busy $.50
    Caller ID name & number $1.00
    Call Waiting ID $1.00
    Telemarketing screen $3.00
    Distinctive ring (teen) $1.00
    Selective call fwd $.50
    Selective call acceptance $.50
    Selective call rejection $.50
    Anonymous call rejection $.50
    Warm line $.50
    Per line name & number block $.50

CALL FORWARDING BUSY – Incoming calls are forwarded to another predetermined number as the called number is busy.

CALLER ID NAME & NUMBER –Calling party’s name and the number is displayed after one ring. The name and number is displayed on customer-provided equipment.

CALL WAITING ID –Call Waiting ID is a service that lets you see the name and number of a second caller before you switch over.

TELEMARKETING SCREEN – Informs Telemarketers or anonymous callers that you do not wish to speak to them.

DISTINCTIVE RING (TEEN) – Two, three, or four different phone numbers can be assigned to your home telephone line. You can answer the phone differently for different rings.

SELECTIVE CALL FWD – You can program your phone to fwd only those calls from a special list of numbers to another number, such as our car phone.

SELECTIVE CALL ACCEPTANCE – You can program your phone to accept only those calls from a special list of people. All other calls will hear an announcement that you’re not accepting calls at this time.

SELECTIVE CALL REJECTION – You can program your phone to reject calls from any number you place in the rejection list. All other calls will ring through as usual.

ANONYMOUS CALL REJECTION – When you’ve turned this service “on”, any callers who have blocked their number from caller ID display will hear an announcement that you do not accept anonymous calls and should remove blocking and call back.

WARM LINE – Help is on the way – even when you can’t dial the phone. Your telephone can automatically dial an emergency number for you.

PER CALL BLOCKING (PER LINE NAME & NUMBER BLOCK) – By dialing a code before you place a call, you can prevent your phone number from appearing on the caller ID display of the person receiving your call.

LOW-INCOME IOWANS -  MAY QUALIFY FOR TELEPHONE/BROADBAND ASSISTANCE

Low-income telephone/broadband assistance is available to qualifying low-income Iowans as part of a federal support program.  This program, “Lifeline Assistance” is available through Farmers Telephone.

“Lifeline Assistance” is a plan that assists qualified low-income Iowans by providing a monthly credit on their telephone/broadband bill.

The telephone/broadband assistance plan is available to qualified Iowans.  Farmers Telephone wants to let low-income customers know about this program and encourage those eligible customers to apply.

Iowans whose income is at or below 135 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines may be eligible for telephone/broadband assistance.  Additionally, Iowans who participate in one or more of the following programs may be eligible for telephone/broadband assistance.

– Medicaid

– SNAP

– Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

– Federal Public Housing Assistance

– Veterans Pension & Survivors Pension Benefits

In addition, you must not currently be receiving Lifeline Assistance, and no other person in your household can be subscribed to the Lifeline Program with any other provider.

Applicants should submit an application to Farmers Telephone.  Application forms can be obtained from the business office. This application is also available on the Iowa Utilities Board website at www.state.ia.us/iub.

The Iowa Utilities Board points out that this low-income telephone/broadband assistance plan is important for Iowans and benefits the public by ensuring affordable access to telephone/broadband services for everyone.

Eligible Iowans are encouraged to submit their application and direct questions to Farmers Telephone, 641-662-2373