Long Distance : Why do I have to pay a USF fee for long distance services?

Why do I have to pay a USF fee for long distance services?

The USF fee (Universal Service Fund) is required by federal law to be charged by all long distance service providers. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has set the current USF rate at 11.7% for all long distance calls. That means if you were to make $10.00 in long distance calls during the month, you would be charged a USF fee of $1.17 for that bill.

The fund offers support to telecommunication carriers in rural and high-cost areas, low-income consumers, schools, libraries and rural health care providers.

Comments

Don't forget to submit your entry for the "PhoneDog Days of Summer" Giveaway!
Win one of over 30 of the hottest new cell phones - no registration, no spam! Just PhoneDog sharing some goodies with our visitors & loyal fans! Thanks and keep the comments coming!

Can't find your answer here?

Click here

Knowledgebase

Q&A's By Category

Long Distance - Did you know?

Many people think using Calling Cards are less expensive than using regular long distance. How can this be? Don’t they have to pay for the usage of the same lines as everyone else? Sure they do, but calling card companies have become experts in marketing tactics!

Read the fine print of the calling card, they often charge for units, not minutes. A unit can be any measure of time they decide, plus they often have minimum call amounts and round up to the next unit. The bottom line is, they have done the math, and it’s going to cost most people more money than selecting a good long distance plan.