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Telephone

U-M Housing Phones

Residence Halls

The phone in your residence hall room should be in operation when you arrive and can be used for local Ann Arbor area calls. However, if you would like to call long distance, you will need to obtain your authcode. Each resident is given a unique authorization code (authcode). An authcode is a 7-digit number that is required for making direct-dialed long distance calls from any U-M Housing room telephone. Your authcode is specifically assigned to you and your U-M Student Identification Number. Using your authcode ensures that billing for long-distance calls is personalized and secure.

Obtaining an AuthCode

Your authcode is pre-assigned and is available at U-M Phone Student Services. To access this site you will need your computing ID (uniqname) and UMICH (Kerberos) password. Once you have logged in to your listing in UMphone Student Services, click on the authcode link to view your private authorization code. Be sure to keep your authcode confidential and remember to logout when you leave the UMphone Student Services site. If you are the only one who knows your authcode, you can be assured that all billing is yours alone. Do not share your authcode with anyone. Your roommates and friends are assigned different authcodes.

Please see the ITCOM website for a complete description on how to make calls using your auth code. If you have further questions contact someone from your residence hall.

Family Housing & Single Graduate Housing

Telephone service in Family and Single Graduate Housing will not be established when you move in. To set up your local telephone service call ITCom Services (Information Technology Communications) at 734.763.2000 or go to their office in the Arbor Lakes Buildings, Building Two, Floor One, Suite 1400, 4251 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. Please call first with your question before you visit. Phones are not provided in Family Housing & Single Graduate Housing, so you will need to purchase your own. More information about rates, including international rates, and details regarding the services they provide are available at the ITCOM Customer Service Center.

Home Phone

Getting a Telephone

You will need to buy your own telephone when living off-campus. Inexpensive home phones are available at local stores such as Meijer, Target or Best Buy.

Getting Local Telephone Service

Most people order local service through SBC, but other companies also offer local phone service. To order local telephone service call a telephone company that provides local service to the Ann Arbor area. It is a good idea to review each company’s web site, which usually offer details regarding their service plans (different services offered for a certain price per month). This may help you decide which service you would like and may help when you call the company.

Local Service Providers

*SBC is the most commonly used local carrier

Getting Local Telephone Service from SBC

Instructions for setting up telephone through SBC are provided below, because SBC is the most common company used. If you choose to use another company, you can use the steps below as a general guideline for what to expect from other companies. To order phone service, call SBC at 800.244.4444 or visit the SBC website. It's a good idea to order your phone service as soon as you know your Ann Arbor address.

Before Calling. Be sure that you have at least two valid pieces of identification such as:

  • Passport
  • Birth certificate
  • Home country identification card
  • Social security number (The number is used to check your credit history; if you do not have one explain to the operator that you are new to the country. Provide your passport number instead.)
  • U.S. driver's license or official state identification card.
  • I-94 Card

Questions.  SBC may also ask you any one of these general questions:

  • Your name, date of birth, and local address.
  • Have you had prior service with SBC?
  • What is your social security number? If you don't have one, tell them the type of identification you are using. It is best to use your passport.
  • What is the name, address and telephone number of a close family member in your home country?
  • Where are you employed? If you are not employed and if you attend classes at the U-M, tell them you are a student.
  • Who will be providing your long distance service? You do not have to know for sure.
  • Do you want your number listed in the phone book or not? An unlisted phone number will cost an extra amount monthly.
  • Is there a phone number where the company can call or leave a message? If you don't have a phone number that you can give, you can use the U-M International Center's number, 734.764.9310.
  • Do you want extra options? Examples are services such as call waiting (allows you to receive other calls while you are talking on the phone with another caller), caller ID (displays the name and the number of the person calling you), voice mail (functions like an answering machine, so people can leave you messages when you cannot answer the phone), etc. If you would like more information on these services please visit the SBC website.

Additional Requirements.  SBC may ask for additional information. Be prepared to fax the following to the SBC Customer Verification Center at 800.668.6613. SBC will use this information to verify its accounts. To request service, call at least 48 hours after you have faxed this information. Tell them you have already faxed the above information to the Customer Verification Center.

  • Your name.
  • A photocopy of your passport photo page and Social Security Card (if available).
  • A statement saying you are requesting telephone service in the State of Michigan.

Once you have completed all the necessary steps in the process, the operator will tell you your telephone number and the date it will go in to effect. It usually takes 2 workdays to check references and 1-2 days to install. *You can change the services or plans provided by your local or long distance companies at any time.

Long Distance Service

Long distance service can be arranged through SBC or separately. If you are going to call home often, you will want to choose the company with the best rates for calls to your home country. You might ask students from your home country for their opinions as to which company provides the best service.

Establishing Service.To establish long distance service, call the desired company directly after you have arranged for your local phone service. Verify that the carrier provides service to your home country or town. Sample carriers are:

Typically, long distance carriers offer different calling plans (i.e. plans that offer discount calling rates to certain countries during certain hours of the day or on weekends). There is usually a monthly fee for a calling plan. International calling plans to any country are also available.

Once you have called a carrier and chosen a plan, ask the long distance carrier to send you a written confirmation of the calling plan you have requested, which will describe the long distance rates you will pay. Keep the confirmation for your records. You can change your long distance carrier or cancel your calling plan at any time, for any reason.

Other Options

Calling Cards
Calling cards are free when you sign up for service. The phone company provides you with a number that allows you to make calls from any telephone and will bill the call to your home telephone account. Please remember that calling card rates are higher than other services and/or pre-paid cards.
Pre-paid phone cards
If you need to call home before your phone services are set up, or if you want to call internationally from other phones you can purchase a pre-paid international phone card. Some places near campus that sell phone cards are Michigan Book and Supply, the Michigan Union Bookstore, and Kroger grocery stores. If you have a credit card you can also purchase calling cards on the internet, from web sites such as:
http://www.callingcardplus.com
http://www.comfi.com

Cell Phone

Some students choose to have a cell phone instead of, or in addition to, their home telephone. There are two types of cell phones, those with pre-paid minutes and those which require you to sign a contract. Contracts provide you with a certain amount of minutes per month for a specific cost. If you plan to stay in the United States for an extended period of time (at least a year) it may be cheaper to sign a contract.

Pre-Paid Phones

Pre-paid phones can be purchased from places such as:

  • Best Buy
  • Target
  • Most major cell phone carriers (such as Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T)

Cell Phones

There are several providers of cellular phones in the Ann Arbor area; call or check their web sites to locate a dealer near you.

General Information and Other Telephone Services

International Long Distance Calls

To call another country, you must know that country's international access code. The code can be found in the International Calling section of the SBC phone book, or by calling your long distance carrier. Usually you have to dial 011 before the international access code, but refer to the phone book for exact details.

Dial-Around Services

These are services that require you to dial a special phone number for discount rates for your phone calls. You dial this number first to access the service, and then you dial the number you are calling. You can check web sites, such as http://1010phonerates.com/intl.html for more information, or ask other students for their opinions.

Information on the Web

For detailed information and resources about various long distance services, dial-around, answering machines, wireless telephone plans as well as cellular telephone plans, you can visit http://abtolls.com. Examples of web sites which offer competitive telephone services include:


Last reviewed: 7/07