Common charges - telephone bill

Here are some common charges that are usually found in a phone bill:

911 - This charge is imposed by local government to help pay for emergency services such as fire and rescue.

Federal Excise Tax – It is a three percent (3%) tax mandated by the federal government for all telecommunication services. This includes local, long distance and wireless bills.

(Federal) Subscriber Line Charge – This charge may appear as "FCC Charge for Network Access," "Federal Line Cost Charge," "Interstate Access Charge," "Federal Access Charge," "Interstate Single Line Charge," "Customer Line Charge" or "FCC-Approved 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.

Local Number Portability Charge (LNP) – This charge provides residential and business telephone customers with the ability to retain their existing local telephone numbers when switching from one local service provider to another. This is not a tax but a fixed monthly charge.

State & Local Municipal Tax – It may also appear on the phone bill as “Gross receipt tax” in some state. Imposed by the state, local and municipal governments on goods and services.

(State) Subscriber Line Charge – Mandated by some states’ public service or utility commissions to compensate the local phone company for part of the cost of providing local telephone lines associated with state services.

Relay Services Charge – It is a state charge that helps to pay for the relay center, which transmits and translates calls for hearing-impaired and speech-impaired people.

Universal Service Fund (USF) or Universal Connectivity Fee - The USF helps to make phone service affordable and available to all Americans, including consumers with low income and those living in areas where the costs for providing telephone service is high. This fund helps provide schools, libraries and rural health care providers with discount phone services. Congress has mandated that all telephone companies providing interstate service must contribute to USF.

FCC has set the following rules and guideline for phone bills to avoid fraud or any confusion on charges made.

Here are our recommendations:
DialUno Cerca 1010
Register to get 10-10 code
DialUno
6.9¢ / min.8¢ to AK, HI
New .95 monthly Carrier Recovery Fee.
online contact form / 1.800.575.2640

DialAround 1010
Register to get 10-10 code.
Primus
5.5¢ / min.8¢ to AK, HI
6-second billing with 30 second minimum on state-to-state and instate calls.
Lower minimum billing of $5/month Plus New .95 monthly Carrier Recovery Fee
1-800-297-9533

PNG PowerDial
Register to use toll free access number.
PNG
5.7¢ / min.15.9¢ to AK, HI
Now has a 99¢ monthly feeFor
1-800-297-9527

Everdial Long Distance
4.9¢ state-to-state rate,
24hours 7 days a week.
30 second initial, 6 second increments.
NO MONTHLY MINIMUMS or FEES.
A 99¢ Carrier Recovery Fee
3% Federal tax.

PNG Long Distance
3.9¢ rate .
Now has a 99¢ monthly fee.
Awesome international rates
check website for rates to call mobile

PNG
also offers stand-alone toll free service,
local phone service,
high speed internet
and cellular plans
with very low international rates

Dialuno
"Primero" 1 plus plan 3.8¢ rate applies 24 hours/7 days a week for all state-to-state calls. billed in 6 second increments Great international rates, especially to Mexico and South American countries. Toll free numbers available at no extra charge and will bill incoming at same rates.

Primus Telecommunications, Inc does the billing and customer service, calls are carried on the MCI network and Alliance AT&T network.
$0.95 Carrier Recovery Fee is added in any month the service is used.

There is a minimal billing requirement of $5/month which means:If monthly usage totals less than $5, your bill will be adjusted to meet the $5 minimum.

ECG Long Distance
2.5¢ state-to-state rate if billed by E-bill only and credit card. Also billed in 6 second increments.

ECG also has toll free numbers available at no extra charge and incoming billing at same rates. $0.59 per month regulatory recovery fee applies to each taxable account, requires EasyPay and EasyBill. EasyBill is ECG's paperless billing option that lets customers receive their monthly ECG bill online.

EasyPay is ECG's paperless payment option that lets customers pay their monthly ECG bill electronically via credit/debit card or bank draft.

3.5¢ state-to-state rate if you wish a paper bill and/or pay by check or other method $0.59 per month regulatory recovery fee applies to each taxable account, plus paper bill processing fee of $2.50

ECG is available in approximately 80% of the country. When you request service, it will tell you if they don't serve your area.