Computing at UW-MadisonDivision of Information Technology
Students Faculty/Staff Services Services A through D Services E through L Services M through R Services S through Z Help Desk Tech Store About DoIT   

Voice/Telephone

Dual NAM

Dual NAM is a feature that allows two cellular numbers from the same cellular vendor to be associated with one cellular phone. UW-Madison does not promote the use of this feature; however, some staff may want to utilize it, allowing them to put their personal cellular number and UW-Madison cellular number on one cellular phone. Listed below are some information, guidelines, and instructions for those interested in using Dual NAM.

General Information/Guidelines

  • Since the use of Dual NAM requires that both numbers be provided by the same cellular vendor and the majority of UW-Madison cellular phones are provided by U.S. Cellular, this document is written with the assumption that personal cellular service is provided by U.S. Cellular.
  • Neither DoIT nor U.S. Cellular will move telephone charges from one bill to the other, so if you place/receive a billable call on the wrong number, the charge will stay with the number used.
  • Contrary to the way a desktop phone can be set up to operate with 2 lines and ringing notification of a secondary incoming call, the cellular phone cannot. Users are either on one line or the other. There is no ringing notification when there is an incoming call on the inactive line. That call goes to voice mail if that is set up as an option on the cellular line.
  • Users must learn to "toggle" between lines. The directions to do so are specific to each cellular phone.
  • Message waiting notification from voice mail is on the active line only. Users toggling to the secondary line to check for message waiting indication may perceive a "delay" because the cellular line must initialize or talk to the tower, the tower must talk with the voice mail system, the voice mail system must talk back and finally message waiting notification can take place. It may not happen instantly after toggling to the secondary line.

How to order Dual NAM

  • Send an email to voice.services@doit.wisc.edu, requesting that either 1) UW-Madison cellular number xxx-xxx-xxxx be added as a Dual NAM to personal cellular number xxx-xxx-xxxx or 2) personal cellular number xxx-xxx-xxxx be added as a Dual NAM to UW-Madison cellular number xxx-xxx-xxxx.
  • DoIT will provide an order to U.S. Cellular to accomplish the task requested.
  • U.S. Cellular will contact you to assist with programming your cellular phone for Dual NAM functionality.