The Telephone Understood101
Here is a quick free reference guide outlining some aspects of the telephone system and billing charges:
If you are being harrassed or otherwise perplexed you can get help by reversing the phone number.
The following FCC rules to which wireline companies must adhere ensure that consumers are given the essential information they need to protect themselves from telecommunications fraud and to make informed choices in today's cut-throat telecommunications marketplace. These FCC rules state that a telephone company's bill must:
*Be organized
*Identify the service provider associated with each charge
*Make note of new service providers, indicating the date the provider change was made
*Be sure these bills contain full and accuarte descriptions of the phone charges
*Identify charges for which failure to pay will not result in disconnection of your basic local service
*Provides a toll-free number for users to call to lodge a complaint or obtain information.
Note: If you do not receive a paper telephone bill but accesses only by e-mail or over the Internet, the telephone company may provide the customer with an e-mail address or Web site for inquiring about charges.
The FCC has also determined that telephone companies should use standardized labels on bills when referring to certain line item charges relating to federal regulatory action like a local number.
If you are being harrassed or otherwise perplexed you can get help by reversing the phone number.
Consumer confusion over telephone systems is no big surprise; who wouldn't be confused! This has significantly contributed to the growth of telephone companies taking their liberties by doing underhanded things like changing your telephone provider without your permission ; known as slamming. And then there's cramming - adding charges to your bill for services you didn't authorize, want or ask for! and all other sorts of assorted tele-communications fraud. To help you detect fraud, the FCC has asked phone companies to simplify their bills so that, you, the customer, can easily understand what you are paying for and how much you are paying.
Below are very common terms, taxes and charges that may show up on your phone bill.
After reading though this page and your phone bill and there are still charges you don't understand, you should contact your local phone company and ask them about it.
Number Portability Service Charge: A Federal Communication Commission (FCC) approved a charge which pays an administration cost supposidly incurred by your local phone company in allowing you to switch long distance carriers and retain your old phone number.
Municipal Charge/911: Charged by your local municipality for services like (911).
Federal Excise Tax: 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.
(Federal) Subscriber Line Charge:This was instituted after the break-up of AT&T in the mid 80's to cover the cost of the local phone network. This charge may appear as an "FCC Charge for Network Access," "Federal Line Cost Charge," "Interstate Access Charge," "Federal Access Charge," "Interstate Single Line Charge," or "Customer Line Charge" ...among others probably not yet caught by me. Are you sick yet?
PHONE CODES EXPLAINED -- These codes below denote the type of telephone company *owning* the prefix or (NXX).
RBOC - Regional Bell Operating Company, like Bell Canada, Bell Atlantic, Pacific Bell - a Landline phone.
CLEC - Competitive Local Exchange Carrier, like TCG
TELCO - A long distance provider company.
WIRELESS - A cell phone or pager company such as Cingular, ATT, Nextel
CAP - Competitive Access Provider, like ICG
IND TELCO - A really small local phone company; generally a Landline.
PCS - Personal Communication System provider, like Sprint PCS. Cell phones and data transmission.
Each GSM mobile subscriber SIM is assigned a unique 15 digit IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) code. This IMSI allows any mobile network to know the home country and network of the subscriber (user).
Remember that IMSI codes are only used among mobile networks. It would be very unlikely for a mobile phone user to know their IMSI code.
Numbering plan guide:
===================
List of commonly used abbreviations
CC - Country code
TP - Trunk prefix
IP - International prefix
NDC - National destination code
SN - Subscriber number
NSN - National significant number
NDD - National direct dialling
IDD - International direct dialling
NDD - National direct dialling
Free Phone Number Analisis
How to Protect Yourself from Phone Bill Over-load
Faithfully review your telephone bill every month!
(Don't just throw it in a drawer because it's on auto-billing and you don't have the time to look at it, okay?!)
Ask yourself the following questions as you review your telephone bills:
===========================================================
Do I recognize all the companies listed on my bill?
What services were provided by the listed companies?
Does the bill include charges for calls I didn't place and/or services I did not authorize or use?
Are the rates charged by each company the same as the rates that the company quoted to me?
Keep in mind you might be billed for a call you placed, or service you used, but the description on your telephone bill for the call or service may be unclear. If you just don’t know what service was provided for a charge listed on your bill, ask the company that billed the charge. Phone them up - they'de better have the answer!
The cost of small, incorrect charges for telephone-related services can really add up over time. Make sure you know what service was provided for these small charges. Scammers often try to go undetected by submitting .05 or $1.50 charges to millions of phone users.
Know the telephone services you have authorized and used including:
calls placed to 900 numbers
other types of telephone information services
Carefully read all forms including all of the fine print before you sign up for any phone service; wireless OR landline!
Below are very common terms, taxes and charges that may show up on your phone bill.
After reading though this page and your phone bill and there are still charges you don't understand, you should contact your local phone company and ask them about it.
Number Portability Service Charge: A Federal Communication Commission (FCC) approved a charge which pays an administration cost supposidly incurred by your local phone company in allowing you to switch long distance carriers and retain your old phone number.
Municipal Charge/911: Charged by your local municipality for services like (911).
Federal Excise Tax: 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.
(Federal) Subscriber Line Charge:This was instituted after the break-up of AT&T in the mid 80's to cover the cost of the local phone network. This charge may appear as an "FCC Charge for Network Access," "Federal Line Cost Charge," "Interstate Access Charge," "Federal Access Charge," "Interstate Single Line Charge," or "Customer Line Charge" ...among others probably not yet caught by me. Are you sick yet?
PHONE CODES EXPLAINED -- These codes below denote the type of telephone company *owning* the prefix or (NXX).
RBOC - Regional Bell Operating Company, like Bell Canada, Bell Atlantic, Pacific Bell - a Landline phone.
CLEC - Competitive Local Exchange Carrier, like TCG
TELCO - A long distance provider company.
WIRELESS - A cell phone or pager company such as Cingular, ATT, Nextel
CAP - Competitive Access Provider, like ICG
IND TELCO - A really small local phone company; generally a Landline.
PCS - Personal Communication System provider, like Sprint PCS. Cell phones and data transmission.
Each GSM mobile subscriber SIM is assigned a unique 15 digit IMSI
Remember that IMSI codes are only used among mobile networks. It would be very unlikely for a mobile phone user to know their IMSI code.
Numbering plan guide:
===================
List of commonly used abbreviations
CC - Country code
TP - Trunk prefix
IP - International prefix
NDC - National destination code
SN - Subscriber number
NSN - National significant number
NDD - National direct dialling
IDD - International direct dialling
NDD - National direct dialling
Free Phone Number Analisis
How to Protect Yourself from Phone Bill Over-load
Faithfully review your telephone bill every month!
(Don't just throw it in a drawer because it's on auto-billing and you don't have the time to look at it, okay?!)
Ask yourself the following questions as you review your telephone bills:
===========================================================
Do I recognize all the companies listed on my bill?
What services were provided by the listed companies?
Does the bill include charges for calls I didn't place and/or services I did not authorize or use?
Are the rates charged by each company the same as the rates that the company quoted to me?
Keep in mind you might be billed for a call you placed, or service you used, but the description on your telephone bill for the call or service may be unclear. If you just don’t know what service was provided for a charge listed on your bill, ask the company that billed the charge. Phone them up - they'de better have the answer!
The cost of small, incorrect charges for telephone-related services can really add up over time. Make sure you know what service was provided for these small charges. Scammers often try to go undetected by submitting .05 or $1.50 charges to millions of phone users.
Know the telephone services you have authorized and used including:
calls placed to 900 numbers
other types of telephone information services
Carefully read all forms including all of the fine print before you sign up for any phone service; wireless OR landline!
Understand your own calling patterns. Do you make most of your telephone calls during the day, night, late-night or on the weekends? If you don't make frequent residential long distance telephone calls, perhaps a long distance plan with no monthly minimum fees would be a correct choice for you.
Ask your long distance telephone provider if there are any promotions running. Ask other long distance telephone carriers about any switching benefits they might be offering such as free minutes, phone number portability, air- miles per dollar spent on your residential long distance telephone bill, discounts if your long distance telephone charges are billed to your credit card. etc....
Consumers should be careful about comparison rates in advertisements; ie: 50% off of a telephone carrier's basic rate because such basic telephone rates are very often not the lowest telphone rates available to begin with!
Ask the telephone company flat out if there are ANY monthly, minimum or per-call fees in addition to the per minute rates! This is Very Important.
If you decide not to subscribe to a long distance telephone carrier at all, phone your local phone company and tell them you do not want to subscribe to any long distance telephone provider. Period.
The wireless phone industry has exploded and the wireless phone companies are offering tons of telephone service plans; one may be right for you--one may even replace your old landline service for good. Then you only have one phone bill!
Always look for a long distance telephone carrier with no monthly fee and low per minute charges. Some long distance calling plans are beneficial too.
If you are being harrassed or otherwise perplexed you can get help by reversing the phone number.
Ask your long distance telephone provider if there are any promotions running. Ask other long distance telephone carriers about any switching benefits they might be offering such as free minutes, phone number portability, air- miles per dollar spent on your residential long distance telephone bill, discounts if your long distance telephone charges are billed to your credit card. etc....
Consumers should be careful about comparison rates in advertisements; ie: 50% off of a telephone carrier's basic rate because such basic telephone rates are very often not the lowest telphone rates available to begin with!
Ask the telephone company flat out if there are ANY monthly, minimum or per-call fees in addition to the per minute rates! This is Very Important.
If you decide not to subscribe to a long distance telephone carrier at all, phone your local phone company and tell them you do not want to subscribe to any long distance telephone provider. Period.
The wireless phone industry has exploded and the wireless phone companies are offering tons of telephone service plans; one may be right for you--one may even replace your old landline service for good. Then you only have one phone bill!
Always look for a long distance telephone carrier with no monthly fee and low per minute charges. Some long distance calling plans are beneficial too.
If you are being harrassed or otherwise perplexed you can get help by reversing the phone number.
The following FCC rules to which wireline companies must adhere ensure that consumers are given the essential information they need to protect themselves from telecommunications fraud and to make informed choices in today's cut-throat telecommunications marketplace. These FCC rules state that a telephone company's bill must:
*Be organized
*Identify the service provider associated with each charge
*Make note of new service providers, indicating the date the provider change was made
*Be sure these bills contain full and accuarte descriptions of the phone charges
*Identify charges for which failure to pay will not result in disconnection of your basic local service
*Provides a toll-free number for users to call to lodge a complaint or obtain information.
Note: If you do not receive a paper telephone bill but accesses only by e-mail or over the Internet, the telephone company may provide the customer with an e-mail address or Web site for inquiring about charges.
The FCC has also determined that telephone companies should use standardized labels on bills when referring to certain line item charges relating to federal regulatory action like a local number.
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