SureWest Communications, an independent triple-play provider that offers service in and around Sacramento, Calif. and Kansas City, MO, said Wednesday that it has launched caller-ID on TV on its Sacramento-area networks (note: it already offers the service on its Kansas City networks, which it acquired via its purchase of Everest Broadband in February, 2008).
Whenever a call comes in while the TV is on, the company says, the service displays a small pop-up window at the bottom of the screen, displaying the caller's name and phone number. Customers can then choose whether to answer the call or ignore it. According to SureWest, customers can choose to disable the service and can also customize it to suit their preferences. It keeps track of calls while the TV is off, the company says, and includes a call log that displays the 20 most recent incoming calls, together with information on the caller and the date and time of the call. The service's menu and logs can be accessed by Sacramento-area subscribers on channel 701. The service is offered at no extra charge to customers who subscribe to SureWest's triple-play offering and is priced at $9.99 for other qualifying customers, the company says. New triple-play customers will receive the service automatically. "Caller-ID on TV is another example of SureWest's commitment to new and innovative features that integrate our TV, Internet and telephone services," Peter Drozdoff, SureWest's VP of marketing, said in a prepared statement. "This feature allows people to take control of their phone, reducing unwanted interruptions and receiving immediate notification of truly important calls. To provide an exceptional customer experience, we must continually offer new features like caller-ID on TV that bring value and convenience to our customers' lives."
