Frequently Asked Questions.
Answers, All in One Place.
Frequently Asked Questions
General
As a local provider, Bascom’s investments stay in the community. Building and upgrading our network strengthens long-term connectivity, supports economic growth, and ensures our customers have access to the technology they need—now and for years to come.
Bascom’s expansion and investment in modern fiber infrastructure means faster, more reliable internet and a network ready for tomorrow. With upgraded fiber, your community can easily handle remote work, online learning, streaming, telehealth, cloud services, and smart home technology.
Since 1906, Bascom Communications has been dedicated to providing our rural NW Ohio communities with the telecommunications services they deserve. We are here for the long term, committed to the community, with a team that lives and works locally, and a company that truly cares.
Frequently Asked Questions
Billing & Account
Payment is due on the 15th of each month.
You can set up automatic pay from a checking account on SmartHub (link) or you can submit a form provided by our office with a copy of a voided check.
To save on postage, you can pay your bill using SmartHub, in person at the Bascom Communications office with cash or check, or by using the night deposit box in the drive-thru.
You can pay online if you are signed up for SmartHub (link) or you can use your last name and account number via Pay Now
There are prorations based on date of installation and installation fees. Sometimes your first bill can cover more than 2 months of service.
The FCC has strict rules to ensure that your information stays safe and private. For your protection this password helps us verify who we are talking to over the phone so we can safely make requested changes to your account.
Yes, you may place any of your services On Vacation hold for up to six months. A $20 reconnection fee will apply when service is restored.
Please be aware that placing services on hold or devices that rely on them. For example, Internet-dependent services such as security cameras may not function during this time. Please note that if you disconnect Internet, your bright.net email account will also be suspended. If you wish to keep your email active, it may be maintained for $13.95 per month.
Contact our office to cancel your service and provide your new billing address if you are moving. Your final bill will be prorated. All equipment—including managed Wi‑Fi routers, mesh systems, and the indoor power supply for wireless internet—must be returned. Service will remain active until equipment is returned, and unreturned items will be billed at full value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Customer Service
Call the office at 419-937-2222 and follow the voice prompts so our on-call technician can get back to you.
When you refer a friend to Bascom Communications or Bright Wireless, you’ll receive a $20 credit toward your bill after your friend’s first billing cycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Service Availability
We also offer Bright Wireless Internet in other areas of Seneca County, in Fostoria, Caroline, Attica, and more.
Complete our “Check Your Address” form, and we will contact you as soon as service is available or when we have more information.
We are expanding! Our current $26 million dollar project will connect North Central Electric Cooperative members who do not already have access to fiber Internet and expand Bascom Communication’s existing fiber footprint in Seneca County and portions of the surrounding counties. Complete the “Check Your Address” form to stay updated when service becomes available or when we have more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sign Up Process
Stop by our office to complete your membership form and paperwork—please bring a valid ID and a checkbook or cash to pay any membership and/or installation fees.
- Fiber Service: $100 toward your first month’s bill, plus a $20 cooperative membership fee.
- Wireless Service: $100 for installation and your first month’s payment.
Payment Methods Accepted: Cash or check only. We do not accept credit or debit cards in the office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Residential
Internet FAQ
Your Internet can only go as fast as your devices allow, but if you are seeing slower speeds than expected, give our tech team a call! We will help troubleshoot and get your connection running its best.
Yes! Email service is included for free with our Internet service. If you choose to discontinue your Internet service, you can keep your email active for $13.95 per month.
With Bascom Communications, we offer symmetrical speeds, meaning your upload and download speeds are the same—a feature you will not find with most other providers.
Symmetrical speeds mean your upload and download speeds are the same. This allows for faster video calls, smoother online gaming, quicker file uploads, and better performance for all internet activities.
Most internet providers offer faster downloads than uploads, but with Bascom Communications, you get the same speed both ways.
Call us at (419) 937‑2222 to find the package that is right for your household. We will ask about your Internet usage habits and review your previous month’s data if you are a current customer, to make a recommendation. Our average customer uses about 752 GB per month, and we offer plans to meet different needs and budgets. Contact our team to discuss pricing and the best option for you.
Fiber-optic technology provides significantly higher speeds, lower latency, and greater reliability.
When many people use your Internet at the same time, they are all sharing the same connection—and that can slow things down. Internet plans have a fixed maximum speed, and all your devices and activities share that speed. More devices using bandwidth—especially for streaming, gaming, or video calls—means less speed for each person. Older routers and Wi-Fi interference can make it worse. Your Internet is not broken—it is just busy. Consider increasing your plan speed to accommodate additional users.
The Bascom Communications website uses an online speed test to measure download speed, upload speed, and latency. Results can vary depending on your device (type, age, performance), connection type (Wi-Fi vs. wired), Wi-Fi signal strength, the number of devices or apps using bandwidth, network conditions, time of day. For the most accurate results, use a wired connection, when possible, pause other Internet activity, and run multiple tests at different times.
Bright Wireless FAQ
Yes. There is a $100 installation fee for all new Bright Wireless customers. The installation fee and first month of service must be paid at the time of sign-up by cash or check.
Not all areas have access to the Bright Wireless packages. Proximity and line of site to our towers are required as well as a site survey to assess signal strength. Contact us to see if Bright Wireless is available at your address.
TV FAQ
You can subscribe to premium movie channels or movie packages at any time for a monthly fee. Contact our office to learn about available options and pricing. Once subscribed, the channels will appear on your guide for viewing with your other subscribed channels.
Press the stop button on your remote to clear the emergency alert banner from your TV.
Press the guide button again until it says Subscribed.
An unclear or blurry picture may be caused by low-quality content (i.e. Standard definition (SD) vs. High Definition (HD channels), incorrect picture settings, insufficient Internet speed for your use, or mismatched resolution from an external device, or outdated software. Sitting too close to a large screen can also affect clarity.
Standard definition (SD) TV has lower resolution, usually 480p, which means fewer pixels and less detail. High definition (HD) TV has higher resolution, typically 720p or 1080p, offering sharper images, more detail, and a better viewing experience.
High Definition (HD) service provides a clearer, sharper picture and is recommended for most modern TVs. Standard Definition (SD) may appear blurry on larger or high-resolution screens but can be suitable for older TVs or limited bandwidth connections.
During installation, our technician will program your remote to your TV to ensure everything is set up correctly.
If you ever need to replace your remote, stop by our office and we will exchange it for you. We will program the remote to your set-top box and provide instructions to help you find the correct code for your TV.
- Black remotes: Follow the instructions printed on the back of the remote.
- Silver remotes: Follow the instructions in the pamphlet that comes with the remote. If you no longer have the pamphlet, please contact our office and a technician will be happy to help you.
To record a show, simply press the Record button on your remote. On the guide channel, press the guide and you will see a red recording dot next to any program scheduled to record.
You can also record directly from the guide by selecting a show and choosing Record. If you want to record a whole series or only new episodes, contact our team—we will help you set it up.
(Black remotes) Follow the instructions written on the back of the remote.
(Silver remotes) Follow the instructions on the pamphlet given with the remote. If you cannot find the pamphlet given, you can give the office a call and the technicians can walk you through programming the remote.
If you hit the guide button on the remote more than once it will change which guide you are on (All, Subscribed, SD, HD, PPV, Favorites). Keep pressing the guide button till the “Subscribed” guide is back on the screen. Then you will be able to get to all the channels you are paying for.
(Black remotes only) Press the STB button at the top of the remote and you will now be controlling the STB instead of the tv.
(Black remotes only) Press the TV button at the top of the remote and you will now be controlling the tv instead of the STB.
Phone FAQ
When we port your number, your phone line with your current provider will be canceled on the date of your installation with us. Please note: you will still need to cancel any other services you have with that provider separately after installation.
The Do Not Call Registry is a national list that lets you opt out of most telemarketing calls to your home or mobile phone. Once your number is registered, it can take up to 31 days for the changes to take full effect.
You may still receive calls from companies you already do business with, charities, political organizations, or survey groups. To register your number or check if it is already listed, visit donotcall.gov or call 1-888-382-1222.
Caller ID shows the name and number of incoming calls. With Bascom Communications, it will display on your Fiber TV channel if you have both TV and phone service.
Caller ID is $4 per month. It is no extra charge if you have it as part of a phone package.
Frequently Asked Questions
Business
All of our packages and plans for our business customers are custom built to your unique business needs, from speed to hardware. Please contact our sales team at (419) 937-2222 to start the conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Construction / Installation
We also submit a ticket with OUPS811 (the Ohio Utilities Protection Service), and all public utilities will mark the locations of their underground lines before construction begins.
The flags mark the location of underground utilities so digging can be done safely. Each color represents a different type of utility:
- Red – Electric power lines
- Orange – Communication lines (phone, Internet, cable TV)
- Yellow – Gas, oil, or other gaseous materials
- Green – Sewer and drain lines
- Blue – Potable (drinkable) water
- Purple – Reclaimed water or irrigation lines
- Pink – Temporary survey markings
- White – Proposed excavation areas
Important: Always call 811 before digging. This ensures all underground utilities are marked and helps prevent damage, injuries, and service interruptions. Learn more or submit at: https://www.call811.com
In most cases, disruption to your yard is minimal. Our crews use specialized equipment to bury fiber lines underground with little impact, often creating just a narrow slit in the ground.
Any disturbed areas are restored as close as possible to their original condition, including soil and grass. If the ground settles over time, we can come back and make additional repairs if needed.
Our goal is always to protect your property and leave your yard looking great when the job is done.
Yes. You will need to be home for both the site survey and the installation so our team can review placement options, access your property, and make sure everything is set up exactly how you want it.
Yes. Ohio law requires you to contact OUPS811 (Ohio Utilities Protection Service) by calling 8-1-1 at least 48 hours before digging. This helps locate underground utilities and prevents damage, service interruptions, and safety hazards.
Once 8-1-1 has been called we are notified to locate our lines. Not calling 8-1-1 will make you responsible for the costs of any damage to our lines.
Every project is different and depends on many factors. We will keep you updated along the way and reach out when your location is ready to schedule installation.
Yes. We take great care to minimize disruption during construction and work to restore your property as closely as possible to its original condition once work is complete. This includes repairing disturbed areas such as lawns, driveways, and landscaping, weather and seasonal conditions permitting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Managed Wi-Fi & CommandIQ
Download the App from either the Google Play store or Apple App Store. Search for “CommandIQ” to find the correct app.
Your Wi-Fi (SSID) name should be something unique and that you remember. You will likely not want to change your Wi-Fi name and password often as you would have to reconnect all the devices in your home after changing the name.
Yes, Wi-Fi SSID names are case sensitive.
Simply turn off Wi-Fi on your phone and wait for it to connect to the cellular network. You can then enter the app and select the checkmark icon to turn your profile back on. We recommend that you remove your phone from the profile if you do not want to accidentally turn yourself off.
Please refer to our “How-To” videos under the support tab for step-by-step instructions—they cover setup, troubleshooting, and managing your managed Wi‑Fi or mesh unit.
If you still need assistance, call our office at 419‑937-2222 and a technician will be happy to help.
Contact us to add Managed Wi‑Fi and take the hassle out of shopping for a new router. We install, manage, and maintain the equipment for you—so you can enjoy reliable Wi‑Fi without the guesswork.
Many residential fiber internet packages include managed Wi-Fi. If you have a package that does not include Managed Wi-Fi, you may add it separately for $13.95 per month.
Trade in your old router with its power cord (in working condition) and receive a one-time $20 credit toward your new Managed Wi‑Fi service. It’s an easy way to upgrade and save!
