How to prevent telemarketers from calling your home phone

You can manage which calls reach your home and block suspicious calls in a number of ways. You can use the following strategies to avoid telemarketers, robocalls, and other callers whose calls you do not wish to receive:

Use calling features to block incoming calls
Add your number to the National Do Not Call Registry
Use a call blocker device
Change your directory listing so it's harder for unwanted callers to find you

Read call blocking assistance FAQs

Use Brightspeed calling features to block calls

There are various solutions that Brightspeed provides to stop telemarketers' robocalls and other unsolicited phone calls and solicitations. By phoning the Brightspeed Update Center, several calling functions can be activated and managed. To do this on your phone, dial *78.

Note: You will be prompted to enter a security code when you call the Brightspeed Update Center for the first time. The temporary security code is 1-2-3-4. After that, follow the recorded instructions to set up your unique code.

Many of the calling features on your account can be controlled using your unique security code. Make sure to keep track of your unique security code.

Use Anonymous Call Rejection to block unwanted calls from anonymous and private numbers. For instance, if a sales person calls you from a blocked number, they hear:

"The party you are calling does not accept blocked calls. If you are calling from a blocked number, please hang up, pick up the receiver, press *87 and redial the phone number. When you do this, your name and number will appear for this call only."

In many areas, Anonymous Call Rejection comes with Caller ID. In some areas, you need to order it separately. Either way, when it's first installed, it's turned off, so you need to turn it on. Do this by pressing *77 on your phone. You'll hear two beeps once it's on.

This calling feature only stops anonymous and private calls. Other types of calls that lack the info needed for Caller ID, such as out of area, unavailable, unknown, or not provided, cannot be blocked with this feature.

Use Call Rejection or Enhanced Call Rejection to block specific phone numbers from reaching you. To do this, enter a list of phone numbers that you want to reject. Then anyone calling from a number on your list will not be able to get through.

How does Call Rejection help you block unwanted phone calls?

To block calls, create a "rejection list" and add the phone numbers you want to that list. Numbers on your call rejection list are not able to call your home.
When an unwanted caller tries to reach you, he/she hears a pre-recorded message saying you're not accepting calls.
This feature works with most numbers.

The Call Rejection feature has to be ordered and added to your account. When it's first installed, it's turned off; turn it on by pressing *60. To turn it off, press *80.

This feature lets you block up to 10 unwanted phone numbers. If you want to block additional numbers (up to 25), Enhanced Call Rejection is available in some areas.

If you don't know a caller's number, you can activate Call Rejection immediately after you get a call from that person. To do this, hang up, then pick up the receiver and press *60 and follow the recorded instructions.

Do Not Disturb is very similar to Call Curfew. It blocks ALL incoming calls from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. seven days a week. You can customize the hours it's active and also add numbers that you do want to allow through.

Do Not Disturb is not designed to block specific numbers, but because it blocks ALL incoming calls, it can still be helpful if you're receiving unwanted calls during a certain time of the day.

Contact us to add this feature to your account. To manage this feature, dial *78 from the line it's installed on. Download the Do Not Disturb user guide.

Brightspeed partners with Nomorobo for Digital Home Phone customers. This third party application blocks robocalls for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) numbers and mobile phones.

Digital Home Phone customers only, follow these steps:

Go to Nomorobo to initiate the sign-up process.
Choose the “landlines” options where it says “sign up now!”
On the next screen, pick “internet landline” and then either input your phone number or choose Brightspeed Digital Home Phone from the carrier list.
You will get an email from Nomorobo with instructions to complete the setup.

More information about robocalls is available on the USTelecom website. You can also visit the FCC web page for stopping unwanted calls, texts, and faxes.

About the National Do Not Call Registry

The National Do Not Call Registry (often referred to as the "Do Not Call" list) is managed by the Federal Trade Commission and gives people a way to stop unwanted calls from phone solicitors and telemarketers.

You can add your number(s) to the Do Not Call list to prevent telemarketers from calling your home or mobile device. Telemarketers should stop calling you after your number has been on the list for 31 days since it is a free service. If they don't, you can file a complaint.

Even if your number is on the list, you could still occasionally get calls you don't want because the government acknowledges that some commercial calls are lawful. For example, you may receive calls from political parties, charitable groups, and telephone pollsters.

Additionally, businesses you have recently patronized or those to whom you have granted written authorization to contact you, may phone you. When you sign an agreement, be sure to read the small print because you might be giving the other party permission to contact you.

Did you realize? A business is required to comply with your request to have your phone number added to its internal do-not-call list. In case they don't comply and you need to complain, it's always a good idea to retain a note of the date you made the request.

Modify your directory entry

Limiting the places and the ways that your phone number is shared can help. You can choose how your name and phone number are shared in a number of different ways. You can see more details about these options on our page about directory listing options.

Non-listed (semi-private) listing: Your name and phone number aren't included in the printed telephone directory, but are available through Directory Assistance.
Non-published (private) listing: Your name, address and phone number don't appear in the printed telephone directory and are not available through Directory Assistance.
Have your name removed, at no charge, from lists that we may provide to other companies for marketing purposes. Non-listed and non-published numbers are automatically excluded from these lists.