- How many long distance carriers are there?
- There are strange charges on my bill. How did they get there?
- Someone switched my long distance provider without my permission. What happened?
- What is a National Access Fee, or PICC Fee?
- What is a billing increment?
- Is it better to be billed in 6-second increments, 30-second increments,
60-second increments or a flat rate?
- I didn't sign up for a long distance plan. What will I be charged if I make
a long distance phone call?
- What is a dial-around or 10-10 service?
- Will I get a better deal using a
dial-around number?
Q. How many long distance carriers
are there?
There are over 1200 companies providing long distance service in the
U.S. Although AT&T, Sprint and MCI WorldCom are the most well-known
long distance carriers, there are many other high quality choices available
for your long distance that can save you money on long distance rates.
Are there significant quality differences between long distance companies?Yes
and no. Ever since the telecommunications industry was deregulated and
AT&T was broken up into "Baby Bells" in the 1980's, long
distance has been a commodity. All long distance companies, including
AT&T, Sprint and MCI WorldCom, use the same fiber optic networks
to transport their calls. While some long distance companies claim that
their service is of higher quality, there is actually very little difference
between the carriers.
However, different companies have different processes in place to run their
businesses. While the quality of the actual phone service is no different from
carrier to carrier, their billing processes, customer service and business
practices can be quite different.
Q. There are strange charges
on my bill. How did they get there?
There are a few possibilities. First of all, there are several charges
that are mandated by the FCC, including PICC (Primary Interexchange Carrier
Charge, which is a flat rate charged when long distance companies use
the local companies' lines and other equipment) and USF (Universal Service
Fund charge, which provides money for telephone and Internet services
for schools, libraries and healthcare facilities).
The other possibility is that you may have been "crammed." A company
may have illegally billed you for services you did not ask for or know that
you were receiving. The charges are often buried on your phone bill.
Q. Someone switched my long
distance provider without my permission. What happened?
You've been "slammed," which is a term to describe what happens
when a long distance company has illegally switched your long distance
service. The FCC has set up a series of guidelines to help consumers
when they have been the victims of such activities.
It is important to note that if you institute a PIC freeze, neither you nor
Exclamation Telecom will be able to switch your long distance service. If you
have a PIC freeze, you will have to deactivate the freeze with a letter to
your local phone company before you can switch.
What are some of the charges that will appear on my long distance bill?In addition
to the rate you pay per call, you can also expect to find the following fees
on your long distance bill every month: Presubscribed Interexchange Carrier
Charge (PICC), the Universal Service Fund (USF) charge and the Federal Subscriber
Line Charge (SLC). In addition federal, state and local taxes will make up
approximately 10 percent of your total long distance bill.
Q. What is a National Access
Fee, or PICC Fee?
These fees are charges that long distance companies must pay to local
service providers as compensation for their use of the local company's
telephone network. Typically, long distance companies recover these fees
from their customers by adding a nominal flat charge to their monthly
phone bill.
Q. What is a billing increment?
Billing increments are the blocks of time the long distance company
uses to bill you. Typically, long distance service is billed in 6-, 30-
or 60-second billing increments. If you are being billed in 30-second
increments, for example, and have a 31 second phone call (don't you hate
it when you get someone's answering machine?), you'll be charged for
60 seconds of long distance time, because you used two 30-second increments
of time.
Q. Is it better to be billed
in 6-second increments, 30-second increments, 60-second increments or
a flat rate?
In all cases, a shorter billing interval will result in lower charges,
so it's best to be billed in 6-second increments.
Q. I didn't sign up for a long
distance plan. What will I be charged if I make a long distance phone
call?
If you make a long distance phone call and you don't have a long distance
carrier, you will be charged too much! If you did not sign up for a specific
long distance plan you are most likely using a standard-rate long distance
plan. These long distance rates tend to be the highest in the industry,
averaging $.80 per minute or more. Even the most basic long distance
service will save you money over this practice. Take a few minutes to
try our service and you'll see a big difference in the rates.
Q. What is a dial-around or
10-10 service?
Dial-around numbers are also known as "10-10" numbers. By
dialing 10-10 before the number you want to call you are able to bypass
your primary long distance provider. You do not have to switch your primary
long distance company to use dial-around service. Clearwave Long Distance
Service does not use 10-10 numbers.
Q. Will I get a better deal
using a dial-around number?
Not necessarily. While it is possible to get a better rate using 10-10
numbers, quite often there is a flat fee attached to the service (such
as a $.99 minimum regardless of how long you talk). Be cautious as you
compare the rates, and make sure you find out about all of the "hidden" charges
before you use 10-10 numbers.
How many phone lines can I switch?There is no limit to the number of lines
you can switch.
