How do you cancel and disassemble a phone when Telecom broadband is no longer working? The optical modem and set-top box had to be returned, so I accompanied my mother-in-law to finish the process and finally settle the accounts
mother-in-law is going south to help us take care of the child. The old house has been empty for two or three years, and that 169 yuan integrated broadband monthly photo deduction is available. She said, "If you don't need it, then don't use it. The fiber modem is just in the drawer." I quickly stopped her—broadband isn't just about flipping the switch, the fiber modem and set-top box are assets of China Telecom. You have to pay them back when canceling, and missing one a loss. After accompanying her through the service hall and calling the 10,000 Route 3, I memorized all the tricks of this trip.
1. Shutting down to keep the number, relocating, and dismantling—first distinguish these three things
call 10,000 and don't rush to say "No" first; customer service will first ask you which type you want. These three are completely different businesses; if you make a mistake, you'll have to go back and forth:
| business | suitable for who | costs | equipment |
| shutdown to maintain numbers | and houses that are vacant for half a year to a year, If you want to come back and live in the future | usually 5 yuan a month | the device stays at home without touching it |
| moving the device | moving broadband follows the person | in some areas it is free once | technician comes to relocate the cable, no need to repay |
| disassemble and cancel the device | completely give up this broadband | settle the outstanding fees, the contract includes penalty fees | all optical modem set-top boxes will be returned |
mother-in-law, in this situation, I originally wanted to choose the account maintenance option. 5 yuan a month, a year of warranty, only 60 yuan. But her apartment was planned to be rented out, and the tenant would have to lay the network cable themselves, so she would have to disassemble the device. If you move, don't cancel it. Moving the device allows you to take the original package price with you. I've previously written about the complete process and expense for transfer, so following the contract doesn't count as a breach.
2. Call 10000 before handling the process and clarify three things
don't rush straight to the business hall. Call number 10000 first to transfer to human service, then ask three questions before acting:
first question: has the contract expired? Telecom integration packages mostly come with two-year contracts, and customer service can directly check the expiration date. My mother-in-law's 2024 model still has 7 months left until expiration—this is where the trouble begins. The contract includes a penalty for dismantling the phone.
second question: Is the equipment rented or given away? this standard varies by province; in most regions, the optical modem is "borrowed for free" and must be returned after disassembly; Some early packages were bought outright, with a deposit listed on the work order, and even after repaying the equipment deposit, the deposit was refunded. deposit is recorded on the installation work order, and if you can't retrieve it, customer service can check .
Third, ask how much the penalty is and how it is calculated. ask customer service to give specific numbers, don't listen to phrases like "charge according to regulations." After reporting to customer service, you'll have a sense of confidence. You can decide whether to go to the service center first.
By the way, you don't have to wait for customer service to check your broadband account and plan details. you can check in the Telecom service center app. My broadband page for account, plan, and contract period are all in plaintext.
3. The Penalty Accounts Are Far Off Inside and Out of the Contract
the contract expires and the device is dismantled, the penalty is zero; just settle the monthly fee. The trouble lies in the contract:
| situation | penalty | remarks |
| the contract has expired at | 0 yuan | only the outstanding fees need to be settled |
| disassembly | contract usually costs 30%~50% of the remaining monthly fee | some packages are fixed at 100 yuan, subject to the contract |
| within 7 days | most services are exempt from | some services support 7-day no-reason cancellations |
the math: monthly fee 100, 14 months left, calculated at 40%, penalty fee is about 560 yuan. Customer service quoted my mother-in-law with '7 months remaining, proportionally, totaling over 230.' This number is not fixed; the standards for enforcement vary by province and even each business hall. Some people have been charged 100 yuan, others over 800 yuan, so it's essential to have customer service report the amount first.
two ways to save money: first, don't disassemble the machine and switch to downshifting . A month before the expiration date, call 10,000 to negotiate renewal, lowering the 169 yuan fusion package to the lowest tier. Many places offer a minimum tier of 59 or even 39, which is more cost-effective than paying the penalty fee. I've written about how to negotiate . Second, if customer service did not clearly inform you of the contract period when process, you can call the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology at 12300 to appeal telecom users. There are real cases where this route can exempt you from the penalty, provided you have a recording or transaction record as evidence.
4. Equipment return list: optical modem, set-top box, power supply—none of them are missing
the inspection of equipment at the counter of service halls is done step by item, which is the most likely step to fail. Here's the list for you:
| equipment | should you still pay | if it's lost |
| optical modem body + power adapter | public cases cost 100~250 yuan | |
| IPTV set-top box + remote control + power supply | (those who have set up IPTV) should be around | 200 yuan |
| buy optical modems yourself | you don't need to | your own assets, just dispose of them freely |
| router | you don't need to buy | yourself; it has nothing to do with telecom |
three practical tips:
take a photo of the sticker on the back of the modem before disassembly. return the item to the service hall, the SN code on the sticker is correct; if the device number does not match, it will not be recognized. Take photos as evidence, and check the return receipt to avoid arguing two months later that you haven't returned it.
power adapter is the easiest way to waste a trip. the guy in line ahead of me brought the set-top box, but the power was left behind the TV cabinet at my old home, and the counter didn't accept it—I waited in line for forty minutes. The power supply for optical modems and set-top boxes looks similar but has different voltages, so don't mix them up.
some areas do not require equipment to be returned after three years. some regions implement the rule that 'equipment after 3 years of installation belongs to the user,' while others require packaging boxes to be collected. There is no unified national standard; each province has its own standard. The 10,000 can be answered with a single sentence. Also, I've replaced my own fiber modem (I registered for used TEWA-750G). The one I bought myself doesn't need to be returned, just return the original carrier unit. If the equipment was burned by lightning, non-human damage will not be compensated, but if there is a repair record, it's easier to speak up. In my lightning protection , I wrote about operators' standards for lightning device replacements.
5. On the day of application: What to bring, where to apply, and how to get a refund
There are two
channels: 10000 or the telecom service center app for appointment. In some areas, installation and maintenance technicians can come to dismantle and collect equipment (for elderly people who can't make it convenient to go at home, specifically request this service); Either the owner brings their ID card to the self-operated service center, and the agent must bring both parties' IDs. Some authorized outlets may not handle disassembly, so call to confirm before departure.
counter procedures are fixed: verification→ acceptance of equipment→ settlement of outstanding fees→ cancellation. Note Outstanding fees are not limited to monthly rent ; network usage fees, debugging fees during installation, and MODEM rental accounts must all be settled before they can be disclosed. Cancel related services first: If value-added services like IPTV, green internet, or family protection are still ongoing, either cancel the subscription or sell them together, or they'll still be secretly charged after the dismantling.
refund in two installments: deposit and phone bill balance . After the deposit is repaid, the equipment will be refunded; after the balance is canceled, the refund will be applied for. The official policy is that the refund will be made through the original method within 7 working days. If you don't take the initiative, don't mention some business halls—remember to speak up. At the end take photos of the return voucher keep records. This is the only written evidence that you have returned the equipment. If compensation and fees appear in your account two months later, it's all up to them.
another detail: after cancellation, don't panic about the 189 email and Tianyi Cloud Drive under your broadband account. These are attached to your phone number and have nothing to do with broadband disconnection. You can still use your usual phone when logged in. What was truly lost was the IPTV replay records and cloud recording content, so if you wanted to keep a show, you could watch it before disassembly.
6. After disassembling the unit, don't forget three small things
the first item, the supplementary card fee will be . If the integrated plan removes broadband, the secondary card fees tied to the package will lose their support and may return to standard prices. Before disassembly, ask 'How will the secondary SIM be calculated later?' If it's urgent, convert the secondary SIM to a separate package before disassembly.
second item, leave a backup before disassembling the backend the optical modem. If you have changed the bridge, go to 192.168.2.1 and take a screenshot of the VLAN values from the WAN connection table to save on your phone—although the VLAN in the new home broadband area may not be identical, keeping a backup is worth it. Exporting the configuration file the optical modem is more stable ITMS settings follow the device and are automatically cleared when returned, so no need to worry. I've explained the mechanism in this article about ITMS late-night configuration .
the third item, the battery in the remote control to . Some counters are very particular when returning set-top boxes. If the remote control back cover is open and the battery is lost, it's not considered intact. Although most people don't care, don't make trouble for yourself over two batteries.
wrap up the entire process: check the contract→ ask about the equipment and penalty fees→ prepare the equipment power supply→ make an appointment or go to the service hall →to settle any outstanding fees or refund balance→ take photos of the vouchers . In the end, my mother-in-law calculated that the penalty was 232 yuan, the equipment was complete and no compensation was made, the balance was refunded 41 yuan, and the actual cost was less than 200 yuan—less than deducting 7 months of monthly rent. If your contract is about to expire, wait until the expiration date to apply, and you won't have to pay a single penalty.
