Billing Woes For Telcos

Written by Arun Tibrewal


The rapid rise inrepparttar telecom industry overrepparttar 107926 last few years has been an event cheered by many. Today, Indian market isrepparttar 107927 second largest growing market inrepparttar 107928 world. And consideringrepparttar 107929 vastly increasing population coupled with increasing economic prosperity,repparttar 107930 telecom companies have nothing to fret about. Yet, there are certain chains that are shacklingrepparttar 107931 growth inrepparttar 107932 telecom. While many companies have paid due emphasis to coverage technology, installing expensive equipment all across for better coverage, they are yet to pay proper attention to their back-end, mostly importantlyrepparttar 107933 billing systems. Quite many telecom companies still have in place archaic billing systems, these software applications were bought off-the-shelf and are complex beyond imagination. Not are they slow on processing or what is better known as 'turn around' time, but are also not scalable torepparttar 107934 ever-changing needs ofrepparttar 107935 company. Hence, there are still a lot of services (related to billing) that many operators are unable to provide.

Why is there a USF Fee or Tax on my bill?

Written by David McDonough


Why is there a USF Fee or Tax on my bill? Long distance companies used to make money off of your USF Fee which is an FCC mandated fee that goes to schools, roads etc... in your community. AT&T used to charge 11.5% and MCI used to charge 12.3% for somethingrepparttar FCC used to charge them 5% for. Since these companies were making a ton of money, off of whatrepparttar 107925 Public thought was a mandated fee,repparttar 107926 FCC just changedrepparttar 107927 rule so that all telephone companies are required by law to chargerepparttar 107928 same amount, and give it all torepparttar 107929 FCC. Read below to find out what allrepparttar 107930 USF is used for.

"We also emphasize that carriers may not mark up federal universal service line-item amounts aboverepparttar 107931 contribution factor. Thus, carriers may not, duringrepparttar 107932 fourth quarter of 2003, recover through a federal universal service line item an amount that exceedsrepparttar 107933 interstate telecommunications charges on a customer’s bill times 9.2%." Copied from: 4th Quarter USF Fee Contribution Factor

Background: The Federal Universal Service Fund "The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Congress recognize that telephone service provides a vital link to emergency services, government services, and surrounding communities. To help promote telecommunications service nationwide,repparttar 107934 FCC, as directed by Congress, developedrepparttar 107935 Federal Universal Service Fund. There are four components torepparttar 107936 Federal Universal Service Fund. They are:

Low-Income. This program provides telephone service discounts to consumers with qualifying low-incomes.

High-Cost. This program provides financial support to companies that provide telecommunications services in areas of America whererepparttar 107937 cost of providing service is high.

Schools and Libraries. This program helps to ensure thatrepparttar 107938 nation’s classrooms and libraries receive access torepparttar 107939 vast array of educational resources that are accessible throughrepparttar 107940 telecommunications network.

Rural Health Care. This program helps to link health care providers located in rural areas to urban medical centers so that patients living in rural America will have access torepparttar 107941 same advanced diagnostic and other medical services that are enjoyed in urban communities.

Who is Required to Contribute torepparttar 107942 Universal Service Fund? All telecommunications companies that provide service between states must contribute torepparttar 107943 Universal Service Fund.

Under FCC rules, all telecommunications companies that provide service between states must contribute torepparttar 107944 Universal Service Fund.

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