Printable Explanation of Charges:
Charge for Network Access (Subscriber Line Charge):
This was instituted after the break-up of AT&T in 1984 to
cover the costs of the local phone network. This charge may appear as “FCC
Charge for Network Access,” “Federal Line Cost Charge,” “Interstate
Access Charge,” “Federal Access Charge,” “Interstate Single Line Charge,”
or “Customer Line Charge.” The FCC
caps the maximum price that a company may charge for this. This is not a
government charge or tax, and it does not end up in the government’s treasury.
Voice Mail:
This item is provided as a service by your local telephone company. This
service may be disconnected for nonpayment, but nonpayment of this service will not result in
disconnection of your local telephone service.
Universal
Connectivity Fee (Universal Service Fund), Federal:
Because telephones provide a vital link to emergency services,
to government services and to surrounding communities, it has been our nation’s
policy to promote telephone service to all households since this service began
in the 1930s. The USF helps to make phone service affordable and available to
all Americans, including consumers with low incomes, those living in areas where
the costs of providing telephone service is high, schools and libraries and
rural health care providers. Congress has mandated that all telephone companies
providing interstate service must contribute to the USF. Although not required
to do so by the government, many carriers choose to pass their contribution
costs on to their customers in the form of a line item, often called the “Federal
Universal Service Fee” or “Universal Connectivity Fee”.
Local Number Portability:
The FCC allows local telephone companies to recover certain
costs for providing “telephone number portability” to its customers.
This charge provides residential and business telephone customers with the
ability to retain, at the same location, their existing local telephone
numbers when switching from one local telephone service provider to another.
This is a fixed, monthly charge. Local telephone companies may continue to
assess this charge on their customers’ telephone bills for five years from
the date the local telephone company first began itemizing the charge on the
bill. This is not a tax.
Emergency 911:
This charge is imposed by local governments to help pay for
emergency services such as fire and rescue.
State TRS (Telecommunications Relay):
This state charge helps to pay for the relay center which
transmits and translates calls for hearing-impaired and speech-impaired people.
Federal Excise Tax,
Federal:
This is a three percent tax mandated by the federal government
(not the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)). It is imposed on all
telecommunications services, including local, long distance and wireless bills.
State & Local Taxes:
This charge is imposed by state, local and municipal governments
on goods and services. It may also appear as a “gross receipts” tax in some
states.
Carrier Universal
Service Charge:
Because telephones provide a vital link to emergency
services, to government services and to surrounding communities, it has been
our nation’s policy to promote telephone service to all households since
this service began in the 1930s. The USF helps to make phone service
affordable and available to all Americans, including consumers with low
incomes, those living in areas where the costs of providing telephone
service is high, schools and libraries and rural health care providers.
Congress has mandated that all telephone companies providing interstate
service must contribute to the USF. Although not required to do so by the
government, many carriers choose to pass their contribution costs on to
their customers in the form of a line item, often called the “Federal
Universal Service Fee” or “Universal Connectivity Fee”.
Single Bill Fee:
Many long distance companies are now adding a "single
bill fee" to the phone bills of customers who are billed for long
distance service through their local telephone companies.
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