FAQs

Our Mobile Apps are native Applications that can be downloaded and installed on your compatible mobile phone or tablet device. The Web version is internet accessible from any web enabled device. Both the Apps and the Web version give you secure access to maintain your account information, view your bills, see payment history, make payments on one or more accounts, set up recurring payments and report outages. They also allow you to monitor and manage your usage by use of graphics and usage markers. The Apps allow you to find and get directions to office locations, payment drop boxes and payment kiosks using the map feature on your device.

The Web version allows you to register your accounts to receive notifications for account milestones, such as an approaching or a missed due date. It also allows you to set usage markers (date range or point in time) to monitor the changes in usage based on events. The Web has a Profile page available for you to maintain your personal information, password, security pass phrase and stored payment methods.

Our Apps are supported on the following platforms:

• IOS 3.1 and above (iPhone and/or iPad)
• Android 2.1 and above (Smartphones or tablets)

Yes! All critical information is encrypted in every transaction run and no personal information is stored on your mobile device. Mobile devices do offer you the ability to store your login information for Apps installed on the device. If you choose to store your login information, any person who has access to your mobile device can access your account.

Simply look for our name in the Apple Store^® or in the Android^® Market.
Search: SmartHub (not case sensitive but must be all one word), if duplicates appear the correct App is provided by our partner, National Information Solutions Cooperative.

No. Our App is free to download and install.

No. You can take advantage of all of the features of SmartHub and continue to pay your bill as you currently do.

Yes. The Web home page shows all of your accounts with the amounts due and hyperlinks to other detailed information. On the App, tap the Bill and Pay icon. The total due of all accounts shows and below it you can select different information by account, such as partial payment option, billing history and payment history.

Web: To pay the total amount owed on all accounts, click the Pay Now button in the upper right corner of the screen or the Make Payment button on the home page. You can also make a payment to a single account or partial payments to all accounts by clicking on the Billing & Payments button. It will allow you to check the accounts to be paid and change the amount for each account by clicking on Other Amount. After entering the amounts to be paid click the Pay Now button.

App: Tap the Bill & Pay gadget. If paying the total amount due, tap the Pay button. If paying a partial payment, tap the Pay Partial Amount, tap on the account and adjust the Pay Amount.

You must log into the Web and click on Notifications. Select preferred notification method (Text, Mobile Push, Email or Phone) and fill out the appropriate notification information based on your selection. Click Next to continue, verify the notification parameters and confirm. If you have multiple accounts, while you are setting the notification it will prompt you to indicate which account the notification is for.

Using Smarthub you create a customer log in and password to get the full service of an online account (ie billing history, payment history, view bill, pay bill, notifications).

Using Pay Now you only need your account number to make a fast easy secure one-time payment when all you need to do it make a payment.

Using either of these payment methods you can use check, debit or credit.

Yes! With Secure Pay option, you simply call our office number (870) 684-2288 and you will be connected to our new automated payment system. Choose the pay my bill option or call our Rice Belt Secure Pay line directly at (844) 209-7157 and follow the prompts to pay your bill. It also gives you the option to store your payment method and/or set up auto pay.

Our new payment options will require you to set a 4-digit pin number for security purposes. If you forget your 4 digit pin the automated system will prompt you call Rice Belt customer service and we will be more than happy to help you reset it.

You can find it by clicking on the “Web Mail” button above, or go to this address: mail.ricebelt.net

• Mac Mail on OS X (Lion)
• Outlook 2003
• Outlook 2007
• Outlook 2010
• Outlook 2013
• Outlook Express
• Thunderbird
• Vista Mail
• Windows Live Mail 2012

• Android K-9 Mail
• Android
• Apple iOS

There will be a brief interruption in service when the technician is on-site to cutover your service from copper to fiber, but we will make sure everything is back in service while we are there.

The contractors ultimately are working for Rice Belt, regardless of who owns their company.

The splicing and placing of drops will take about 6 months. Rice Belt team members will be closely following that effort with appointments for cutover, and we will work efficiently as possible to get all customers with access to fiber optics cutover.

We anticipate the splicing and drop work will be done in the first quarter of 2018. The follow up work that is going to be done by the Rice Belt staff will continue until it is done.

Existing customers won’t be charged anything for the cutover.

New customers who place their service request while the contractors are in your area and are placing drops will also get their installation fees waived.

Customers that want to connect the fiber optic network after the project teams have moved on out of the area will pay normal installation and drop placement fees.

The dates will be determined by how quickly the contractors are able to work. We will let all locations know via direct mail cards when the window is closing on the free installation.

Rice Belt’s data/internet product is not priced on usage, so there are no limits.

We anticipate the first customers will be cutover from copper to fiber in October to November.

We will have three speed offers for Residential customers and three speed offers for Business customers. Please refer to our Services page for details.

Whether you are an existing customer that will be cutover from copper to fiber, or a new customer, the process is nearly the same, with one exception. Existing customers will automatically be receiving a fiber drop from the handhole to your home. New customers will need to sign up for Rice Belt’s services in order to get a fiber drop placed. From there, a Rice Belt Customer Service Representative will contact you to set an appointment for the placement of an Ethernet jack and cutover. You will need to be home for the appointment.
A technician will install the Ethernet jack, will cut your phone line over from the old Network Device to the new Fiber Network Terminal and will ensure your internet service is working before leaving you to enjoy your blazing fast data service.

Shallow landscaping can be placed, but we always ask that you contact Arkansas One Call or dial 811 before you dig. Going too deep can damage the fiber that is placed and could result in the need to replace the fiber in order to return services to working order. Save yourself a repair bill and avoid the lines when possible.

The majority of the fiber optic plant is already in the ground, and has been fed into hand holes. These are underground cement boxes that are flush with the ground. They can be walked on and mowed over. A drop for each home or business passed will be pulled out of a handhole, and spliced into an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) that is placed on the outside of each home or business. From the ONT, a fiber is fed into the home, and ends in an Ethernet jack where you can plug in a desktop computer, or a Wireless Router that will serve all the devices within your home.

Immediately once your service is cutover.